The Arrogant Pirate King
by Oofie
Summary: Now that someone is threatening their world, the Goten no Kaizoku is called upon by their late founding mother to save all pirates and everything they stand for. But will their only savior and unexpected king be able to find his reason to fight?InuKag MiS
1. Let's meet the Court!

**Oofie: "Hello, my friends! What do ya know, I'm starting another fic!"**

**Inuyasha: "Yeah, you didn't even finish the last one."**

**Oofie: "That one, I discontinued. It was my first fic, but it had no plot…. It was going no where. A good writer knows when to kill what she's got no interest in."**

**Kagome: "How wise…"**

**Oofie: "Thank you! So, for those who didn't read my last story (and if you didn't, I don't blame you), I have a certain style of writing fanfics…"**

**Kagome: "Ooh! I wanna explain!"**

**Oofie: "… Okay…"**

**Kagome: "Okie dokie! So, hello, I am Kagome, one of the main characters from Inuyasha… and I will be explaining a few things to you, the reader, today!"**

**Oofie and Inuyasha look to each other as if to say, 'what's with the peachy keen attitude?'**

**Kagome: "So, at the beginning and end of every chapter, Oofie, myself, and Inuyasha have a little time to talk to the reader, have special guests, and give any announcements that we may have."**

**Oofie: "I dunno about the special guests… I'll think about it guys, we'll see next chapter."**

**Inuyasha: "Good, no more guests. If I have to spend time with Kouga like last time, I might just lose my mind…"**

**Kagome sighs and rolls her eyes.**

**Inuyasha: "Oh Kami, please tell me you're not still defending him…"**

**Kagome: "He's not even that bad!"**

**Inuyasha: "Are we forgetting that he almost RAPED YOU last time!?!?"**

**Kagome: "It was just a story Inuyasha…"**

**Inuyasha: "THAT'S BESIDES THE POINT!"**

**Oofie: "Oh dear… I suppose I should just give the disclaimer and start the chapter… I don't own Inuyasha, or Kagome or whoever the hell else may be in Takahashi-sama's masterpiece. Oh, and check out these definitions real quick, they'll come in handy for the story."**

**Youkai – demon**

**Hanyou – Half demon**

**Ainoko – its basically an insulting word for someone of mixed blood.**

**Goten no Kaizoku – Pirate Court**

**Hentai – pervert**

**-nii – big brother**

**-chan – term of endearment**

**-sama – term of respect**

**Ikkitousen – strong warrior**

**Chapter 1: Let's meet the Court**

The seas were raging. The waters beat upon it self as the wind churned the salty deep blue mass. For miles around there was nothing but the glorious sea… the glorious sea and a ship amongst its waters.

Aboard the ship, a small but efficient crew bustled around, performing their duties with precise skill. Dark clouds spread over head and thunder was heard before its partner, the flashing lightening struck. It was easy for the crew to see that a fierce storm was coming. All the men on the ship were panicked and hurried in their efforts to secure the ship. All the men except one.

The captain stood at his place behind the wheel of his ship with his face wearing a lopsided grin. His waist length silver hair was woven into long braid that blew in the wind behind him. He wore a black pirate hat on his head and an oversized black coat that reached his calves. His sleeves had to be rolled up in order for his hands to be of any use to him, but he wore the coat proudly anyway. Underneath he wore a deep dark red cotton shirt that was only buttoned up halfway. He also had a pair of black trousers that he tucked into a pair of brown leather boots that were pretty worn out. Looking at his cloths alone, a person would with out a doubt think of him as someone who didn't' really care for fashion, just as long as he was covered.

Any outsider who didn't know the captain would have thought him crazy for smiling death in the face like that, or maybe just insanely cocky. But to anyone who knew him, or loved the sea, he appeared to be one hell of a sea-loving pirate.

"Captain!" shouted a voice from the captain's shoulder. "The storm approaching promises to put up a good fight against us! Why on earth did you decide to leave port yesterday when your instincts clearly told you about the consequences?"

The pirate grinned at the flea demon sitting on his shoulder. "If you question my logic so much, why didn't you just stay your ass back in Surabaya, Myoga?"

The small flea jumped off of his captain's shoulder and landed on the wheel. "It is not that I doubt you, Captain-sama. It's just that… well… It hardly seems reasonable to risk all our lives in a storm we could have avoided by waiting a few days!"

"And let that damn Indonesian pig get to it first!? To hell with that! You saw how many ships he has in his control!" the captain yelled to the youkai. He smirked in a way that made his companion roll his eyes. "I know what I'm doing. This crew is well past good enough to survive this storm, but I didn't see not one sea-worthy man on any of his ships. If he was stupid enough to follow us, I doubt he'll make it out of this with even a forth of his ships or men."

Myoga opened his mouth to say something more but someone was shouting from the crow's nest.

"Captain! Captain we've got another ship coming at us!" yelled a young boy's voice. A small orange colored head popped out from over the side to make eye contact with the one he was speaking to.

The captain growled. "Damn! Where are they coming from?" he shouted back looking up into the sky as the first drops of rain began to fall.

"Astern! And they're gaining fast! They don't look like they've come for a friendly bottle of sake either!"

"Damn it all! Kekaru, take the wheel and hold it steady!" he yelled to the nearest man he saw.

"Aye, aye Captain!" Kekaru said as he took the wheel, feet spread wide and flat in order to keep his balance.

The captain ran towards the bow of his ship, giving orders to all the sailors he could spare from their regular duties. Not even a minute had gone by that he heard a ship was headed for them and he had already started to go through with a plan. He was known for quick thinking and getting out of tight spots. When he got to the bow and had run out of men to give orders to, he made a giant leap up to the crow's nest where he found a little fox youkai, soaked to the bone.

"Shippo, I need a favor."

Naraku sat in his quarters to keep himself out of the rain. His long black greasy hair was held away from his face with an indigo colored ribbon. His face was twisted into a sick little grin that could make ladies swoon and men gag. He wore an Indigo overcoat with tails that he had buttoned up over a white frilly shirt. He also wore beige trousers and black shoes. He sort of resembled captain hook, but in blue instead of red.

He was clicking his well-kept nails on a table when a sopping wet sailor entered his room and bowed to him. "Captain, there's something you need to see."

Naraku sighed and stood, grabbing his black hat with blue trim and placing it on his head as he left the room. As soon as he stepped out the door, he was soaked from head to toe from the shower of rain. He turned to the sailor, "Well, what is it?"

The sailor merely pointed to the cloud filled sky.

When Naraku looked up he doubted what his eyes were seeing. A large pink ball was hovering over his ship, looking around with big cartoonish eyes. Atop this floating pink ball was a silver haired man who had a satisfied look on his face when he saw the captain. The man said something to the ball and it descended onto the deck, scaring off the men who were near it. The ball then suddenly disappeared, and the man was left standing there with a friendly smile on his face and his hands in his large coat pockets.

"Well, hello there," the man said in mandarin.

"If you are here to speak to me, as I assume you are, you should speak your native tongue. Some of us hail from Japan anyway," Naraku said in response.

"Ah, I see. Sorry, just kinda assumed that you might speak Chinese, seeing as most of your crew looks to be from China itself," the silver-haired man said in Japanese. He spoke it just as fluently as he spoke mandarin. It was easy to see that he knew many languages and could speak them just as well.

"Yes, most of my crew is from China. But I assure you they all speak Japanese as well. But enough about them let us hear about you. I'd like to know what made you think you had the right to come aboard my ship," Captain Naraku said with a small polite smile on his face.

"Well, Captain, I could easily ask you the same question, seeing as you were headed straight for _my_ ship as if your very lives depended on it."

"Your ship? So you are the captain of that ship?" he asked, pointing to the ship that they were still headed for.

"Yeah, that's me. Captain Takahashi Inuyasha at your service," he said, taking off his hat and giving a bow. Some of the crew gasped when they saw that the man had a pair of dog-ears atop his head. He replaced his hat on his head so that it was a little crooked and grinned lopsidedly.

Naraku's face suddenly took on a look of interest. "Well, this is fantastic news. You are just the man I've been looking for, Captain Takahashi."

"Is that so?" said Inuyasha, his lopsided grin never faltering. He overflowed with confidence, as if he felt completely safe in his surroundings.

"Yes. Yes indeed. You see, I just needed to secure a little information from you, if that's quite all right with you of course."

"Well, it depends on the information you're looking for."

"The first thing I wish to know you have already told me. You are in fact Takahashi Inuyasha, Captain of the Windscar, are you not?"

"Hai, that I am."

"Ah, then I can only assume that you sir, are a pirate, yes?"

Takahashi smirked and shrugged his shoulders. "Well, I do like to do a little stealing, treasure hunting and pillaging among a lot of other unlawful acts in my spare time, but I'm not very fond of labels."

"Well, just for the sake of my purpose here, I'm going to put that label on you. I have reason to believe that you are one of the Pirate Captains that belong to the group known as the Goten no Kaizoku. Am I correct, captain?"

Takahashi's smile faded from his face and a neutral look came to replace it.

"And if I am?"

"Well, then I'm going to have to ask you how big your wrists and ankles are, because you'll be wearing shackles around them in a few minutes," replied Naraku with cockiness oozing from his voice. The grin he wore on his face was a sickening sight, but Takahashi kept his gaze on him.

To Naraku's surprise, Takahashi burst into laughter the very next second. He laughed and he laughed, holding his stomach in merriment. The sailors started to look at each other as if to say 'is this really the pirate mastermind we've been looking for?' Naraku's anger slowly began to rise at his would-be prisoner's laughter. Finally, he had had enough.

"Silence!" he barked. All eyes shot from the silver-haired captain, to the black-haired one. "How dare a filthy blooded hanyou laugh at me in such a way!"

Takahashi's laughter stopped at once. It would seem that the captain had struck a nerve.

"Oh, so you can tell I'm hanyou, huh? Well, I guess it would be easy for a spider youkai such as you. Sure, I'm just a lowly ainoko, and judging by the way that you dress, you gotta be some kinda high up person right? Even if you don't dress like normal Japanese nobles and the like," he said quietly, but loud enough for all to hear. He stood there quietly for a moment, appearing to be humbled. Naraku smiled, and was about to say something else when Takahashi looked up with a huge grin on his face. "Oh well, can't be helped! Now, what was this nonsense you were spewing earlier about shackles and what not?" he said, waving his hand in the air.

"You bumbling idiot. Why do you stand there as if you aren't worried about your future? Do you know that you are wanted in more countries than you can probably count? Dead or alive, my friend. As soon as we get back, you are to be executed. You and your little Pirate Court," Naraku sneered.

Captain Takahashi chuckled. "Are you implying that my life is about to be cut short, you ignorant government son of a bitch? You underestimate this ainoko."

Naraku snarled at the other captain, and spoke to him through gritted teeth. "Really? How so?"

Captain Takahashi simply smirked at him in an I-know-something-you-don't way before the boat shook violently with a series of explosions. Everyone looked to the starboard side of the ship and there, abreast to the ship, was the Windscar, and Takahashi's crew firing cannons and guns at them.

Naraku's anger rose to a dangerous level, and he leapt across the ship to the other captain. Takahashi dodged the attack, but Naraku pulled out a gun and shot at him. The captain of the Windscar had been forced to take to the sails. He pushes his claws into the cloth to keep himself from falling, and watched as his crew boarded the ship. A great battle was being fought below him and he was mesmerized by it.

Naraku jumped up to the crow's nest and looked down at the hanyou in his sails. "So, Takahashi, you are as cunning as the stories say. You came over here to distract me and my crew while your crew took your ship to sneak up on us. Very clever!"

Takahashi looked up and smiled once again. "Well, I'm not as dumb as most people assume me to be."

"Well, hanyou, let us hope that the same is true about you being weak for your sake!" he yelled as he jumped from the crows nest to where Captain Takahashi was on the sail. Naraku knocked him off of the sail and as they both fell a lot of clawing and scratching took place. By the time they hit the deck, both of them had already shed blood. They crashed through the wooden boards and landed in the bunker. Takahashi wrestled the gun out of his hand, then landed a few blows to the head, but Captain Naraku kicked him in the abdomen and he keeled over.

Breathing hard, Naraku stood, sporting a bloody lip. "How dare you lay hands on me…! You don't know who I am!"

Captain Takahashi stood, letting his arms dangled as he looked at his opponent. "Why don't you tell me?"

"I am Captain Onigumo Naraku, of the Youkai Syndicate of Japan."

"Ah, see I knew you were pretty high up there… How do you know about the Goten no Kaizoku, Captain Onigumo?" Inuyasha asked as they started to circle around, ready to pounce again. "I'm not saying that I'm in it or anything, but I do know that even amongst us pirates it seems to be a very protected secret from the 'good guys' of our fair country. Hell, even most pirates don't seem to know about them. You've got to be some kind of genius to have gotten this information."

Naraku smiled at the compliment and spoke with malice in his voice. "Well, it was very easy, actually. But for someone like myself, of course it would be. I've been tracking the most powerful pirates in our seas for some time now. To my surprise I found out about your little group that owns these mighty waters. I must say, from the legends and rumors you guys have a pretty intricate web of systems within your little Pirate Court. I congratulate you."

Takahashi frowned at the man in front of him. "What do you want?"

"I want to kill you. You and the rest of the Goten no Kaizoku. I want to rule over your territory. And I'll do it Inuyasha…" Naraku said, not even bothering to be respectful and use his last name. "I'll kill you and your group and rule in your place."

Takahashi stopped circling the room and stared at Naraku. "Well, now that you've so stupidly given me all the information I need to start the work on your demise, I'll Be leaving now," Inuyasha said. He paused and smiled. "By the way, Captain Onigumo, that shade of blue, makes you look ridiculous. The next time I see you, please don't dress yourself like a damn blueberry, okay?" he said with a smirk at his opponent's very apparent anger.

Captain Takahashi chuckled and saluted Naraku, "Ciao." With that he leapt up out of the hole they fell in through and landed on the deck.

From the Bunker Naraku could hear the captain ordering his men back to their own ship. He stayed down under the deck until he knew that the pirates were long gone and he heard his crew calling for him. Instead of jumping through the hole as Takahashi had done, he used the door and made his way above deck.

"C-Captain! They've taken our rations, and some of our weapons and gunpowder!" said one of the sailors as he appeared on the deck. It was still raining and the ship looked a mess from the battle.

Naraku looked to his first mate. "Have this mess cleaned up, patch that hole up, and set a course for the nearest port so we can restock."

"Yes, sir."

Naraku walked into his quarters and locked the door behind him. The encounter hadn't exactly gone as planned, but he did somewhat get confirmation from the hanyou that Goten no Kaizoku did in fact exist, and that would be more than he started with.

"Yes, Captain… I'm coming for you… you and the Goten no Kaizoku."

Captain Inuyasha walked amongst his crew as they cheered for their victory. He grinned from ear to ear, giving off the impression that he was happy as well, but on the inside, he was carefully thinking over what to do next.

Of course the Court had to be informed, but he could do that in a moment, when he had time alone. Then he needed to speak with Myoga, who probably hid on the ship the entire time the battle was going on. He looked around the deck at the rejoicing men, then made up his mind on a few things.

"Avast, yeh thievin' pirates!" Inuyasha barked over the noise. Immediately silence fell, and they all looked towards their captain, most with smiles at being called thieving pirates. "I'll admit, you did well! That ship was easy pickins for a crew as sea worthy as you be!"

At that, the crew yelled in agreement, and one of the pirates yelled out, "It helps to have such a sea-worthy captain!" All the men laughed heartily at that.

"Okay, but now it's time to put away yer winnin's! You two," he said, pointing at two men. "Take those barrels of gunpowder and put them below deck in storage! We don't want them getting wet or we can't use it. And you two over there take the food rations and put them in the kitchen. Tell Totosai that we're feastin' tonight, just 'cause I kinda feel like puttin' some kind of pleasure in your lives."

The four men who were given orders set off with an "Aye, aye captain" as everybody chuckled at the captain's orders.

Inuyasha began to walk away, but a pirate named Harushi spoke up, "Hey, Captain, what we supposed to do with the weapons?"

Without turning around, Inuyasha said, "Keh, distribute them amongst yourselves."

The crew mumbled their acceptance of his orders, and then Kekaru spoke up. "And the rum?"

Inuyasha stopped walking. He didn't turn around but he did turn his head. "There's rum?"

"Aye, Captain," Kekaru confirmed as he looked over the few barrels of rum.

Inuyasha turned around, and walked over to the barrels with thudding steps. "Someone bring me a cup!" he shouted, and within the next few minutes a large mug was in his hands. He pulled the cork out of one of the barrels and let the warm golden brown liquid flow into his cup.

The men watched him closely as he downed his first cup, then filled it once again to the brim. Then, the Captain walked away, up the stairs, and towards the door of the captains quarters. When he reached the door, he turned and yelled, "Do what you will with the rum!" and he stepped inside.

From inside the cabin he could hear a rush of footsteps and cheering coming from the men on deck. It was pouring rain outside, but he knew that wouldn't stop his crew from drinking.

Inuyasha sighed, and took off his hat to set it on the table next to him. He then sat down in his chair, and reached inside his jacket. When he removed his hand, he held in it a large ball of fluff.

"Shippo," he called.

Then the ball of fluff unfolded itself, and it became little Shippo, the fox demon. "Hey Inuyasha!" he said cheerfully.

"Hey, I need another favor."

"Sure, Inu-nii. What is it?" he asked. Whenever the two were alone, Inuyasha allowed him to call him by his first name, or 'Inu-nii' since the boy thought of him as an older brother. Shippo had met the Windscar captain when he saved him from other pirates, named the Thunder Brothers. They had murdered Shippo's parents and entire village, and were about to kill him next, but Inuyasha had come just in time to save his life. The battle that ensued would be one that became legendary throughout the seas and officially put Inuyasha on the map as a great force to be reckoned with at the age of fourteen, just a few months after he became a captain.

That was five years ago, and now Inuyasha was nineteen, and Shippo was ten.

"I need to get a message to the Captain of the Ikkitousen, and I need you to send it," he said, as he took out a piece of paper and a quelled pen and some ink. He quickly scribbled a message onto the paper, and folded it a few times before he handed it to the young fox.

Shippo took it and smiled a smile of determination. "Aye, aye Captain Inu, you can rely on me!" he said as he hoped off the table and headed towards the door.

"If you see the coward, let him know I want to talk to him," Inuyasha said, picking up his mug.

"Yeah, okay Inu-nii," Shippo said, knowing full well who 'the coward' was.

As soon as Shippo left the room, Inuyasha slipped out of his coat and stretched his arms over his head. He lay back on his bed and looked to the ceiling. How could this Naraku person know about the Court? Sure, amongst pirates a lot of people know about it, but what they know is legend, myth. Nobody actually knew what it was or who was supposed to be the ringleaders of the whole thing. Only the captains and their crews knew about it, so really the only way for anyone to know…

"Is for someone to have betrayed us… but who? How?"

"Who and how what, Captain?"

Inuyasha sat up on his bed and looked to the table to find Myoga sitting there.

"Well, that ship that came up on us… It was a ship from Japan. The captain was one of the higher ups… a youkai higher up."

Myoga looked at his captain. "They can't have come all the way here, just for the bounty on your head, can they?"

"Well, this guy does wanna put my head on a platter, but it's not for the bounty," he replied with a bitter smile. "He said he wants to take out the Goten no Kaizoku. Rule in our place."

"Nani!? How does he know about the Court? And even if he knew about it, then how did he know that you are in it?"

"That's what I'm trying to figure out. But the only thing I can think of is that we've got a serious rat problem. But who? Everybody on this boat has made a blood oath. Even if they wanted to speak the truth, they couldn't. The spell is too strong," Inuyasha said. He was puzzling out every possible scenario, but he always came up with an obstacle that would make it impossible. Just how could this man have gotten the information that he had?

"I can't fathom how he'd done it Captain… What was his rank in the syndicate?"

"I dunno… He didn't say. I was hoping that maybe you might know of him. He called himself, Onigumo Naraku."

Myoga sat down on the tabletop and lit his pipe. He only did this when he was thinking hard about something. "Onigumo… It is a familiar name, but… I can't quite recall where I'd heard it. What did he look like?"

"Keh, like a blueberry."

"Nani? Like a blueberry? Was he a fruit demon?" Myoga asked in confusion.

"No, heh, just something funny. Anyway, he was a spider youkai. Long hair, black wavy… kinda looked like if you touched it, you'd have a whole lot of gook on your hand. Pale skin, beady eyes… maybe a pinch shorter than me… and he was the kinda guy who wears eyeliner. And he dressed like he was from Europe or something. I think he traveled there a lot. He had many maps in his cabin of Britain and France. He also had lots of papers written in English, mandarin, and Japanese… oh and Spanish too."

"Wow, you gave quite a description, Captain."

"Yeah well, I figured that if he was going to become an enemy, then I should try to find out as much as I could about him. I took a few of his papers too, if you want to see them."

"No, I think you might want to save those for the Captain of the Ikkitousen. I take it you've sent him a message already?" Myoga asked, knowing what the answer would be already.

"Yeah, he should be getting it right about now. I'm expecting one back any minute, depending on how long he wants to think about the whole thing," Inuyasha said while scratching his head.

"Yes, your brother is the type of person to mull over every little detail before taking action. Quite the opposite of you, if I do say so myself," Myoga replied with a smile on his face.

Inuyasha laughed a little, "Damn straight Myoga."

Sesshomaru sat with two people from his crew in the corner of a rowdy and noisy bar. He wore large black hat on his head and a black cloak over the rest of his clothing, although, you could still see the white of his pants underneath, and of course his black leather boots. His long silver hair was kept in a loose ponytail.

His cold golden eyes traveled to his right to glance at one of his crewmembers named Jaken. He was covered in a cloak that was much too long for his short body, and a red scarf wrapped around his head. His green skin looked leathery, and his beady yellow eyes watched every person that passed by their table. Needless to say, this impish youkai was pretty ugly.

Then, the captain looked to his left at his first mate, who was a lot easier on the eyes than the other pirate. Rin was a beautiful girl of sixteen, who looked a lot more innocent than the world she lived in. She was wearing a black cloak as well, but hers was open, so you could see the simple orange kimono underneath. She had cut the skirt from the kimono, and fashioned herself a pair of shorts out of the extra fabric. On her feet she wore pink Chinese slippers that matched the pink sash around her kimono and the pink scarf she had intricately woven into her two pigtail styled black braids. Her large brown eyes were studding the window across the way on the opposite wall.

"Captain…" she said, barely above a whisper and not looking at him. He followed her gaze to find a leaf flying at him. He rose his hand in the air and caught the leaf, and the moment he touched it, it changed to paper. Sesshomaru looked at the piece of paper for a moment, before he unfolded it under the table and read it.

_Brother,_

_Secrets out. They know. We need to talk._

_Mutt_

"Damn," Sesshomaru said, speaking for the first time since they sat down. "Jaken."

"Y-Yes, Captain!" Jaken said in surprise at his name being called.

"Get me paper. And a pen… and some ink," said the captain in a melancholy voice.

As Jaken scurried away from the table, Rin looked to her captain. "Sesshomaru?"

"As soon as I respond to this," he said, holding up the piece of folded paper, "We're leaving. It's urgent."

Rin nodded her head silently, and watched as Jaken continued his mission of finding paper and writing utensils for the captain.

As soon as the imp came back, Sesshomaru jotted a few things down on the paper and handed it back to the smaller pirate. The youkai then reached under the table and pulled out a staff, with a youkai head and woman's head on it (Dum duh duh duuuh! The Staff of Two Heads!). He took the staff, and pressed the pointed end of it onto the paper, and it disappeared in a flash of flame.

"It is done, Captain," Jaken said, looking pleased with himself.

Sesshomaru nodded, then stood and walked through the loud men and women who were in the bar. His two crewmembers followed after him into the cold night air. The sky was dark and clear in Dalian. The streets were empty of the Chinese merchants and sailors that were there only just a few hours earlier. It was a quiet eerie place in the middle of the night.

The captain began walking towards the pier where their ship was docked. The trio walked in silence as they closed the distance between their bodies and their ship. The moon was a bright crescent shape against the sky.

"Captain," the little green imp spoke up. "Just out of curiosity, what's going on? We haven't gotten the information that we came for yet, and I hardly think that leaving so soon is the logical…"

Sesshomaru stopped walking and glared at the small man. "Are you questioning my judgement on this situation. Jaken?"

"Uh… well, I…" he stuttered. Jaken was never too good under pressure.

"How dare you, especially when you don't know the circumstances," the captain said, drawing his sword, the Tensaiga.

Rin stepped in front of the imp, "Captain, if I may, I don't think that Jaken's life is really worth enough to be taken my your sword." She didn't really think of what she just said as an insult to Jaken, she thought of it more as helping to save his life.

Sesshomaru looked at the girl in front of him for a moment before sheathing his sword. "Be thankful that Rin is on your side," he said, more so a bit of advice than a command. "We have to hurry, we must be where we're going in a hurry."

Sesshomaru started walking again, taking long strides so that his two companions had to jog to keep up.

"Well, where are we going, Captain?" Rin's sweet voice asked.

"Home."

Inuyasha stood behind the wheel of his ship, breathing in the salty smell of the sea. He was circling an island to get to its northern side. Once he reached it, he looked carefully up and down the beach. When he found what he was searching for, he veered left, and the ship took a sharp turn towards the island.

"Okay… okay…. And… Lift the sales!!" he barked out to his crew. Immediately ropes hoisted the black sails of his ship up as the crew labored away at their tasks. Then, with a small smile, Inuyasha let go of the wheel, and it spun out of control.

If someone were to be watching from the beach or from out at sea, it would appear that the ship was going to crash into the land and be stuck like a whale washed up on land. But the crash landing never came, as a strong current pulled the ship into a hidden river flowing from the sea to the heart of the island. The current was a strange one, because normally a river flowed from land to sea, and not the other way around, but it still pulled the ship deeper and deeper into the islands depths.

Inuyasha watched the river carefully, and when he saw the waters begin to calm, he took hold of the wheel again and steered the ship down the remainder of the river. Eventually it opened out into a deep lake with many docks on its shores.

The captain pulled up to one of the empty docks, and gave orders to tie the ship down as he walked toward the wooden boards of the dock. Once off the ship, he grinned his lopsided grin at the forest in front of him.

"You know, even though I've been down that river many times before, the way you steer always give's me a queasy feeling in my gut," said a voice from his side.

Inuyasha looked to his left and found Totosai standing there in his deep green kimono style shirt and black trousers with no shoes. The old man was stroking his beard in delight at finally being home with his other hand on his hip.

"You got a problem with my driving old man?" Inuyasha asked, a little peeved.

"No, but maybe if you steered your way down the entire river instead of just letting go of the wheel, maybe—Ow!" he exclaimed at the new found bump on his head. "Now what'd you go and do that for?"

"Go tell the men to bring out the things we got from Jakarta and bring them to the first shop on the main street. And the things we got from Galle to the 3rd shop down on the right side on the backstreet by Fuu's market," said the captain, completely ignoring Totosai's question. He continued walking towards the forest.

"Well, where are you goin'?" the cook called.

"I've got important things to do in the city. Oh, let the men know that after that, they can go where ever the hell they please, but to be back at the ship in a week's time at sunrise," he called back, still walking.

Totosai watched him disappear behind the trees before he sighed and headed back to the ship to give the captain's orders to the crew.

In the meantime, Inuyasha hadn't even walked 20 feet into the forest before he came upon a trap door on the ground, hidden by fallen leaves and shrubbery. He opened up the hatch and climbed inside, finding himself on a winding staircase carved out of the hard earth. He climbed down the steps, surrounded by rock walls that held torches in crevices as he went.

Finally, he reached a platform where he could look down into a huge cave like space that was lit by holes all over it's roof. At the bottom of this large cave a circular shaped city dwelled, full of life and noise. Many buildings made of stone blocks were present in this underground city, and there was even a waterfall that came from the lake on one side and made a river run through the middle of it. On this platform he was at least eighty feet from the ground, so he still had many stairs to climb, but he was fond of stopping here to gaze at the one place (other than the sea) that he ever felt at home in.

Inuyasha grinned in genuine happiness.

"Home, sweet home."

SMACK!!!

"Hentai!!!"

Miroku sat on the ground rubbing his bruised cheek. If not for the quickly darkening mark on his face, he would have looked pretty handsome. He had his hair in a small rat's tail on the back of his head, and he wore a simple cotton purple shirt that was open, exposing his chest and abs to the world. He also wore black trousers and worn brown leather boots. And to top of his simple look, he had two gold earrings in his left earlobe. "Oh come on dearest. Do you always have to hit me so hard?"

Sango looked down at the man who had just violated her for the umpteenth time. She was also a fair looking person. She wore pink scarf, used as a scrunchy for the ponytail of brown hair she had. She also wore a black Chinese styled shirt with a pink dragon embroidered onto it. She wore matching pants, and a black overcoat that she had wide open at the moment. To top it off, she had black slippers with dragonheads on both. "Well, do you always have to try and touch me _there_!?"

"Well… yeah," he shrugged.

Sango marinated in her anger for a moment before raising her right foot backwards and released all her frustration in one swift kick to Miroku's stomach.

By this time in the argument, things were more than a little loud, but the people in the street simply went about their business like nothing was happening. Truth be told, this kind of thing tended to happen a lot whenever Captain Taijiya and Captain Houshi were home at the same time.

The writhing man made a sort of gurgling noise at the contact Sango's foot made with his body and he turned over onto his stomach. As he tried to get to his feet and only managing to get to his knees, he looked to Sango again.

"Love, I just have to ask," he said with a sly smile in her direction. "Would you being so violent all the time be any indication that you like to be rough in bed?"

Sango gritted her teeth and raised her fist for a blow to the head, but she suddenly felt a tight grip on her wrist. She looked up to find a Red-haired wolf youkai woman with pigtails holding onto her arm. She wore a bright red chest plate and shin guards over a white kimono that was cut short just above her knees and had no sleeves. On her arms she wore red bangles and on her hands, red gloves that she cut the fingers out of. She also wore red beaded slippers on her feet.

"Sango-chan, think about this. He's so not worth it," the woman said.

Sango looked to Miroku, who gave her a small smile of remorse, before she sighed at let her arm drop.

"Yeah, you're right Ayame-san. He just… he just gets on my last nerves," she said with an anger-filled glance at the man on the ground.

The wolf youkai rolled her eyes. "Tell me about. I can completely relate. But I'm tellin' you, beatin' him to a pulp won't do a thing. You see he keeps coming back, don't you?"

"Of course he keeps coming back," a voice to their right said. "You guys should know by now that he won't stop 'till Sango kills 'im."

Another woman stood off to the side with brilliant smile on her face. She wore a white cotton button up shirt that was probably made for man because it was big on her. Around her waist she had a green scarf tied around her as a make shift belt and it held two daggers on each hip. She also wore a pair of brown trousers that she had obviously cut because they only reached mid thigh, and she had knee-high brown leather boots with gold buckles on them. Her raven black hair was held in a loose bun, held together with a pair of gold chopsticks and she wore the biggest golden hoop earrings that anyone has ever seen, I'm sure. Over her shoulder she had a strap connecting to a quiver of arrows on her back and a bow. Quite frankly, she looked like the female version of a treasure-loving pirate.

None the less, Sango and Ayame both smiled from ear to ear as they happily shouted in unison, "Kagome!"

Kagome laughed at the two as she walked over with her arms held wide. "Well? Can I get my hug or what?"

As Ayame and Sango were about to make their way to the third female captain in their group, two tan arms snaked around Kagome's waist and held her tight.

"Kagome you can always get your hug from me" said a voice in her ear.

The captain turned in the newcomer's arms and found herself to be a little too close to someone she really didn't want to be near. He had tan skin and long black hair that he kept in a ponytail. He wore a brown kimono styled shirt with the sleeves cut off and a black chest plate similar to Ayame's. He also wore trousers and brown leather boots. He also wore guards on his forearm and shins. He was also a wolf youkai

"Captain Kouga… "

The man smiled, baring his fangs in the process. "Glad to see me?"

"Not in particular," she said, trying to pry herself from his grip.

Across from them, Sango looked at Ayame with pity. Said wolf youkai was glaring at Kouga with fire in her eyes. She and Kouga had come from the same pack, and their grandparents had arranged for the two of them to be mated. Unfortunately, neither was too excepting of the whole thing and both took off to avoid having their lives planned out by someone else. But it would seem that fate had it out for them, because they ended up in the Goten no Kaizoku and closer than ever. Kouga, in the attempt to have some say in his destiny, started hitting on Kagome in hopes that maybe they'd be together, instead of Ayame and himself. But of course, Kagome wasn't interested, and the only thing his attempts ever managed to do were to tick people off.

It really didn't bother Ayame that he hit on other women, what got to her is that he only wanted to be with other women because it meant he would not be with her. Ayame began to doubt herself whenever she was around Kouga, and her self-confidence was only a fraction of what it normally was. There was nothing really wrong with her was there? She wasn't _that_ bad of a person, was she? No, of course not. But she hated Kouga for making her feel that way, forcing her to deal with him in the only way she could. Through anger.

Just as she was about to step forward to punish Kouga for forcing himself onto Kagome in front of her, someone beat her to the punch. One blow to the head, and Kouga stumbled, letting go of Kagome and falling to his knees.

"You know, mangy wolf, you are one sad excuse of a youkai, and a captain," were the words that came from behind Kagome.

She turned around to find yet another person she really didn't want to see.

"Captain Takahashi," Kagome said, with her nose in the air.

Inuyasha nodded to her solemnly, "Captain Higurashi."

"Captain Houshi."

Everyone looked to Miroku, who had been almost forgotten amongst the arrivals of the other Captains.

"What?" he said after a minute of everyone eyeing him. "I felt left out," he shrugged.

Inuyasha grinned at the man and laughed before he walked over and pounded his fist on Miroku's. "So I take it that you've still been harassing Sango then, huh?"

Captain Houshi smiled at his friend. "How'd you know?" Inuyasha tapped Miroku's face with his knuckles, and at this he hissed. "Ah, I see. The bruise isn't that dark, is it?"

"I can always make it darker, y'know!" Sango yelled from a few feet away.

Just then, Sesshomaru walked up and nodded to everyone. "I'm sure you're talking about that hideous bruise on Miroku's face. Been acting like a wild animal in heat again I see, Houshi."

"Well, you don't have to put it like that…"

"What happened to him?" the older Takahashi brother asked, nodding his head to Kouga who was rubbing his head and glaring at Inuyasha.

"Keh, he had an accident."

"I'm sure he did. What time are we having our meeting?" Sesshomaru asked, catching everyone's attention.

"It should be at night. I've got to check in with a few things," Ayame said.

"I agree. Kagome and I have families we want to see before we get stuck in that room for hours on end," Sango said, voicing both girls' thoughts.

"Yeah… you guys know my mom, she'll want to see me and Sessh first thing," Inuyasha spoke up. Sesshomaru looked over to Inuyasha with cold eyes. "Don't look at me that way, you know you were thinkin' it. You don't wanna see her mad any more than I do."

The dog youkai rolled his eyes and sighed. "Fine, then it's five voting for night. So we'll meet up in the usual place when it gets dark, right?"

Everyone gave his or her sign of agreement, and then Sesshomaru looked to Inuyasha. "Well, since we don't won't to displease mother-dearest little puppy, we better get going," he said, tipping Inuyasha's hat off of his head, and grabbing his sensitive little dog ear and dragging him away.

They all ignored Inuyasha's screams and curses as they split up and went their separate ways, Sango and Kagome to their families, Ayame to tend to her buisness, Miroku to a local pub, and Kouga to simply wander the streets.

**Oofie: "Wow, it came out just how I wanted it. In the first chapter, I wanted to introduce everyone, while the reader still had no sense of what's going on…"**

**Inuyasha: "You're trying to confuse them?"**

**Oofie: "No, I just wanted people to know who most of the main characters are, next chapter is going to explain a bit more of what's going on.**

**Kagome: "I don't have too many character dynamics yet…"**

**Oofie: "You will, trust me."**

**Inuyasha: "I kinda like my character. He smart, strong, and good looking."**

**Oofie: "Yeah, I guess. But you'll see, he's still got your potty mouth, your arrogance, your ability to wolf down food in a matter of seconds…"**

**Kagome: "Will he still love ramen?"**

**Oofie: "Of course. Although it won't be instant noodles, since the time period the story is in doesn't have that yet."**

**Inuyasha: "Alright, whatever, but will Kagome still be loud, unforgiving, and a threat to herself and others?"**

**Kagome: "HEY!"**

**Oofie: "Actually, no. I still want her to be her clumsy self, but you'll see the difference… trust me."**

**Inuyasha: "Well, I'm hungry."**

**Kagome: "Fine, lets go back to my house and get some food. You coming Oofie?"**

**Oofie: "Sure, I love your mom's cooking."**

**Oofie Kagome & Inuyasha all wave to the reader before heading for the shrine.**


	2. Romance in the Court

**Oofie: "I like this chapter. It's got more info, but not all of it. But I promise al will be told in the next chapter."**

**Inuyasha: "Oofie no baka! You can't comment on the chapter before it's over!"**

**Kagome: "Oh hush Inuyasha. Oofie doesn't have to listen to you."**

**Oofie: "Yeah… Oh, I'd like to say that I would start responding to reviews next chapter, if I get them. I hope I do. It'd be nice."**

**Inuyasha: "Keh, can we hurry up, I was promised I could do the disclaimer."**

**Oofie: "Yeah yeah, hurry up and do it."**

**Inuyasha: "Okay, Oofie don't own me, or whoever the fuck else is in my show!"**

**Oofie: "Only words you need to know that you don't know from before…"**

**Nani- what**

**Miko – priestess with holy powers**

**Inu- dog**

**Ookami- wolf**

* * *

**Chapter 2: Romance in the Court**

Kagome was walking down a street made of stone and carrying a large knapsack, when she first heard her name being called. She turned around, and to her delight, she finally found someone she really wanted to see.

"Kikyo!" she called, running to hug the other woman. "Kami, Kikyo I've missed you so much!"

Kikyo hugged her sister in delight and smiled. "It's definitely been to long, why don't you come home more often? Captain Ookami-sama comes home more than you do, and most of his family lives on the ship with him!"

"Please, don't mention Kouga to me," Kagome replied with a nervous smile as she let go of her older sister.

Kikyo nodded, and took a step back to examine the younger Higurashi woman. "Oh Kagome you look so… boyish!"

Kagome laughed and looked at her sister. She looked the same as ever, still pale and fair skinned, still had beautiful gray eyes, still kept her long straight black hair in a ponytail, and still wore simple but sophisticated looking kimonos. "And you look so girlish!"

The two looked at each other and chuckled before linking arms and heading towards their family home, arm in arm.

When they reached home, Kikyo opened the door and stepped inside, calling "Everyone! Kagome is home!"

Souta was the first one to get there as he launched himself at his sister. Kagome caught him, but fell back onto the wall under his weight.

"Onee-chan I can't believe you've been gone so long!" cried in excitement, burring his face in his sister's shirt. He looked up with wide happy brown eyes and she tousled his thick black hair. "So, what'd you bring me?"

"Souta! She's just got in the door and you're already asking her for things?" Kikyo scolded with a smiling face.

Souta was silent for a minute before he looked back to Kagome. "So what'd you bring me?" he repeated.

The young pirate laughed at her brother's antics and pushed his head away from her with mock anger. "Oh I see, so I'm just a source of treasure to you now am I?"

"Kagome?"

Kagome looked up and smiled before mimicking Souta and launching herself into her mother's arms. "Mama!"

Kyoko looked down at her daughter and held her tight. "Oh Kagome-chan I'm so happy to see you!"

"You young folks sure do have a lot of energy in you!" Kagome's grandfather said as he entered the room. Kagome also hugged him and they exchanged greetings.

"Oh good, Kagome! You've come home just in time for supper. Why don't you go upstairs and clean yourself off? I've just filled the basin full of nice cool water."

"Oh, that sounds great Mama, especially since it's so hot out!"

"Oh yes! And I can help you pick something out to wear! Those cloths are filthy, you should have them washed," Kikyo commented, shaking her head as she looked at her sister's cloths.

Kagome gave a nervous laugh. "Eh heh… yeah, okay…"

As the two sisters went upstairs, Kagome couldn't help but wonder why she told her sister that she would let her pick out her cloths. There was only one way this could end, and that was in something pink and frilly…

* * *

Inuyasha grumpily rubbed his sore ear as he and his brother sat at a table in his mother's house.

"Inu-chan, what happened to you?" a woman said as she walked into the room with cups of tea for them all. She was a beautiful woman with black hair that reached the back of her calves. She had blue eyes, which was pretty rare for a human in the city she lived in, and nice porcelain skin. She wore a peach colored kimono with long wide sleeves and a deep red sash around her middle.

"He had an accident, Izayoi-sama," Sesshomaru said, daring Inuyasha to say otherwise.

"Oh really?" Izayoi said, looking to Inuyasha.

Inuyasha looked to his mother and nodded his head, but his eyes clearly stated otherwise.

Izayoi looked from brother to brother for a moment, before bopping Sesshomaru on the head with the tray that she carried the tea out on. "You know better than to mess with your brother like that. I thought you were the mature one, Sesshomaru?"

"Hey! I'm mature!" Inuyasha stated in a very immature way.

"Sure you are dear," his mother smiled, patting him on the head. Inuyasha looked at her as if she were insane and utterly cruel for treating him as if he were five. In front of Sesshomaru no less!

Izayoi sat down near her son and looked to the two of them. "So, who's going to tell me what they've been up to first?"

The boys looked at each other for a moment before Sesshomaru spoke up. "Well, I just came from Dalian. I had heard of a man there who had found a sword that I think may have belonged to father…"

"Did you find it?" Inuyasha immediately cut in as soon as the word father came to his ears.

A look of disappointment crossed over Sesshomaru's face for a split second as he shook his head.

Izayoi watched, as both boys seemed to share a moment of sadness that could only be shared by a pair of sons who had lost their father. Izayoi too felt a pang of depression as she thought of her mate, who had been slain when Inuyasha was five and Sesshomaru was seven.

"We look like him," Sesshomaru said, not looking to either of the two people in the room. "I remember when we were younger, people always used to say that we looked like him, but now I see it more than ever. The two of us… Either of us could be his twin."

Izayoi laughed. "You two may look like him, but neither of you act like him. Sesshomaru, you're way too serious. Inuyasha, you're way too hot-headed." The two brothers looked at Izayoi in annoyance. "Aha ha! And you're both waaaaaaay too violent! Whenever I hear about either of you, it's always about how you were in some battle!"

"Keh…"

"Well…"

"…I'm not the one who starts the fights," both of them said in unison. Silence followed their words, the two of them not even daring to see the smile on Izayoi's face.

The woman looked from one to the other, trying desperately not to fall out laughing at them. She let out a small giggle and sighed.

"You two are just too much!"

* * *

Sango was walking towards the meeting place of the Goten no Kaizoku, her shoes clicking on the pavement as she went. That was when she saw it. It was a sight that made her sick to her stomach with envy for a reason she couldn't quite put her finger on.

Up ahead, Miroku was sitting at an outside bar with a giggling woman in each of his arms. Both of them had a hand on his chest and were apparently laughing at a joke she couldn't hear. Why was this bothering her so much? It wasn't like she had feelings for the disgusting pervert… right?

She was doing an absolutely great job and controlling her anger, until one of the hussies started to nibble on his ear. That was when she lost it.

Miroku smirked at the woman on his right seductively nibbling on his ear. In his mind, he wasn't holding two women he had just met a second ago, he was holding two Sangos, both of which had their hands all over him.

Miroku's half-lidded eyes snapped wide open when he heard his beloved's voice shrieking in angst.

"Oh Miroku how could you!?" Sango screamed, on her knees and shedding tears.

Miroku looked utterly confused. "Wha- I…"

Sango got up and stumbled to the three of them fisting her hands in Miroku's shirt. "How could you!? How dare you!? Out here cavorting around with some women when our children are at home asking me, pleading me, to tell them where their father is!" she screamed in his face, sobbing more than ever. "'Mommy, we miss Daddy! Bring him home, bring him home' they say!"

Miroku looked at Sango's wet angry face with a horrified look on his own. "Sango, what are you-"

She slapped him and got into one of the speechless girls' faces.

"You whore! You're keeping my husband away from his children!"

The girl looked frightened and shook her head, causing her short black hair to wave around wildly. "No! I-I never knew he had kids! Honest"

Sango turned to the other girl, and before she could even say anything the girl shook her head also. She was too afraid to speak.

"Oh I see," Sango laughed, nearly hysterically. "Then it was you! You disloyal pig!" she screamed, jabbing a finger into Miroku's chest. "You don't want to be with your kids!?"

"Wh-!"

"Shut up!" she bellowed, then grabbed his rat-tail and yanked him out of his chair, dragging him up the street and around a corner.

Once around the corner and a little farther up the dark alley, Sango let go of Miroku's hair. As soon as he was free, he turned around to confront the woman, but instead felt her body urgently pressed on his and her lips smashed down on his own. His eyes went wide for a moment in shock, but he soon enough began to respond to her advances, wrapping his arms around her small frame. He felt her tongue on his bottom lip, and immediately opened his mouth to let it inside. Miroku felt he was in heaven, only one thing could make this better…

One of his hands traveled down her back to rest on her backside and… it stayed there. He waited, and waited. But no slap, punch or kick came. Kami must have been smiling on him at just that moment.

Sango began to moan a little, her hands moving over his chest, before she forced herself out of his grip. She wiped her mouth, panting the entire time, her eyes completely unreadable as she stared at Miroku.

The man in front of her panted, then pushed his bangs out of his face and let them drop back down. "What was that for?"

Sango looked at her feet then started walking out of the alley. "I just had to see something. Come on, if we don't hurry we'll be late for the meeting."

Miroku looked after the female captain in confusion. "What in the seven hells is wrong with her?"

* * *

Kagome was running as fast as she could in the bright pink kimono her sister had forced her into. The girl had pulled up the skirt of the thing to almost mid-thigh so she could stretch her legs farther. She prayed to Kami that nobody would see her in the dark, that maybe nobody would- OOF!

Kagome slammed into someone else as she rounded the corner and fell on top of him or her as they tumbled over. She groaned, wondering why her lucky stars couldn't be present with her to help avoid someone seeing her and getting winded.

The person she lay on moaned in pain, and moved to rub his head. It was then that she noticed the snow white dog-ears atop his head.

"Oh, somebody up there loves me…" she mumbled sarcastically as she attempted getting up.

Inuyasha didn't even have to look to know just who had slammed into him. The smell alone was enough, a spicy cinnamon. Why the hell did he have to run into her now, when he was late already?

His thoughts quickly flooded away as her knee pushed itself into his crotch in her attempts to get up and he yelped in distress. Without thinking, the hanyou pushed her knee out from under her, and off of the family jewels, only to have her tumble right back down on him, their foreheads bumping into each other with a loud thud.

"OW!" Kagome yelled as she sat up holding her forehead. "You idiot! What the hell did you do that for!?"

Inuyasha snarled as he propped himself up on one of his elbows and rubbed the spot where she hit. "Well sorry, but I like the idea of being able to use my friggin dick again, and your knee was trying to sever it from my god damn body!"

Kagome rolled her eyes and was about to yell something back when she heard giggling from across the alley. Both of them looked over to see what the noise was.

A woman and her three children were standing in the doorway of their home, staring at the two still on the ground. The oldest, a boy was snickering at the two, and the second oldest, a girl, was blushing. The youngest, who was a boy that couldn't have been more than five looked confused.

He pulled on his mother's skirt and looked at her horrified expression. "Momma, what's that lady doing on top of that man?"

Both Inuyasha and Kagome had a look of realization upon their faces as they figured out why the family was looking at them in such a way.

There they were, in the middle of the street, with Kagome straddling Inuyasha's waist, with her skirt pulled up no less! And to top it off, they had been groaning a second ago from bumping into each other, which was a sound that could easily be mistaken for something else…

Kagome turned beat red and immediately scrambled off of Inuyasha, who wore a look of a person who just found out that their older sibling had drowned their favorite pet.

"I-It's not what it looks like!" he stuttered, holding his hands up in defense.

The mother of the three children finally tore her eyes away from the two on the street to usher her children back inside.

"You… You dumbass!" Kagome shrieked, pointing at the man who was just now standing up. "Now they probably think I'm some hentai girl!"

Inuyasha looked offended. "So? Why do you even care what people think of you anyway? And what's with blaming me for it, you knocked into me just as hard as I knocked into you!"

Kagome seethed for a moment. She knew he was right, but she didn't want to admit it.

"What are you doing here anyway? It's already dark, should you be at the meeting place? And… What are you wearing?" he said, looking her up and down for the first time.

Kagome tried to hide herself with her arms, but it really didn't work. Just as she had predicted, letting Kikyo dress her only ever ended in something pink and frilly.

"It's not mine. It's my sisters. For some reason I just can't comprehend, I let her pick out some cloths for me…" she said with scorn in her voice, directed at herself. "I was trying to go to my house and change before the meeting. What are you doing over here?"

"Keh, my mom wanted me to pass on a message to someone who lives over here for her…" Inuyasha responded, stretching his arms up of his head. "You live over here?"

"Right around the corner. I was almost there when you showed up."

The hanyou rolled his eyes at her, then started walking back around the corner. Kagome followed hesitantly. "Where are you going, the meeting place is in the opposite direction."

"Yeah, I know. I just figured that after you change, you might want a lift. So which house is it?"

Kagome slowly walked over to her home, eyeing Inuyasha as she took her key out from the front of her kimono. Inuyasha arched one of his eyebrows.

"You always keep your key wedged between your breasts?"

Kagome opened the door and walked inside, turning on a carosine lamp that stood on a crate near the door. "Only when I don't have pockets."

Inuyasha stepped inside, looking around. It was a nice place. It had two rooms, a living room dining room kitchen combination, with a makeshift fireplace for cooking, a few more crates with a cloth over them that she probably used as a counter and a cabinet, and in the far right, a table.

Kagome walked over to the doorway on the back wall that had a beaded mat there instead of a door. "You can sit… stand, or whatever. I'll be out in a sec," she told him as she disappeared behind the mat.

He could still see from the middle of her shin down as she walked around behind the mat, lighting a candle. He for some reason couldn't help himself a he watched that pink frilly piece of cloth pool around her ankles. She stepped out of it, then sat down on what he believed to be a futon that was lifted off of the ground by boxes. He watched her legs and feet as he heard rustling of clothing, which probably meant she was pulling on a shirt. She stood, then lifted one leg, slipping it into a pair of tight black trousers. She did the same with the other leg, then sat back on her bed. He continued to watch her legs as she pulled on red worn leather boots with buckles down the front, tucking her pants into them. Then she stood, and walked out of sight.

A few minutes later, when she emerged, he found that the shirt she was wearing was a Chinese styled red one (A/N: The way I picture it, it kinda looks like Ranma's). In her ears she still wore the gold hoop earrings, and on her head she had tied a red scarf, making her hair look even darker. Inuyasha couldn't lie to himself as he looked at her. Even in normal cloths, Kagome was pretty nice looking.

'Shouldn't think that way Yash, she hates you remember?' he thought to himself as Kagome walked over and turned off the lamp, leaving them in the dark.

"Well, if you don't mind opening the door…"

Inuyasha mumbled whatever before he opened the door for her. She stepped out into the night air as he closed the door behind himself. "Okay, so you were talking about some kind of lift…?"

"Oh, yeah." He kneeled down in front of her.

"Uh…."

"My back. Get on my back. And hurry, we're already late as it is."

Kagome climbed onto Inuyasha's back and he leaped onto the roof of her house. From there he jumped from rooftop to rooftop. The view of the city lit by torches in the street up in the air was spectacular. Kagome held on tightly to Inuyasha's shoulders as he supported her by holding her legs. She couldn't help but notice how his muscles moved against as her as they leaped into the air, bringing them closer to their destination.

Inuyasha skidded to a top outside a tall stone building. It looked rundown, and it even had holes in the walls through which the many flights of stairs could be seen, leading up to the very top floor were a light shown outside it's windows.

The hanyou walked inside, Kagome still on his back. He hadn't even thought to put her down. He climbed the stairs slowly, gripping her legs with his large hands. Inside and on the stairs, all the smells and noises were blocked out from the city and his senses were filled with nothing but the essence of Kagome. She smelled wonderful, like a fresh stick of cinnamon, and if he listened close enough he could hear her soft breathing, and if he listened even closer still he could hear her steady heart-beat.

He finally reached the top of the stairs, standing on a platform for a moment, looking at the door in front of him. He could hear voices coming from behind it, and see a soft glow shine underneath it.

Kagome lay he head on his shoulder, then let her grip slacken. He took a hint, and let her legs slip from his hands, slow as to not drop her. Her hands dropped from his shoulders and he turned around.

Kagome gasped as she looked into his eyes. They were glowing a brilliant gold color in the darkness, the whites showing even more brightly.

"Nani?" whispered, shifting under her gaze.

"N-Nothing. Open the door," she whispered back.

Her watched her for another moment, before he opened the door and stood aside, letting her by.

'She does hate me… right?'

* * *

"Well it's about damn time!" Kouga bellowed as Inuyasha and Kagome entered the room. "We've been waiting for ever! Don't you know what time it gets dark dog-shit?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Keh, I'm not the only one. Kagome was late too. Why don't you yell at her, huh?"

Kouga looked a little baffled for a moment, opening and closing his mouth.

"Exactly, can't yell at her can you? To busy running away from _other_ things, aren't we?" the hanyou said, pointedly looking at Ayame who was having a conversation with Sesshomaru.

Kouga scowled, growling at the hanyou as he and Kagome took their seats at the large table set in the middle of the room.

Other than the table, there were many bookshelves filled with knickknacks of all kinds, ranging from actual books, to mini-statues, to old guns.

Miroku looked to Inuyasha with a sly smile. "Mind telling me why both you and Kagome are extremely late and both came in at the same time?"

"Keh, we both have separate reasons for bein' late. But the reason we came in together is 'cause I bumped into her on the street… literally, and gave her a ride."

Miroku smirked at his friend. "Inuyasha you dog!"

The hanyou captain looked at him in disgust. "Not _that_ kind of ride, perv!"

His friend chuckled, "I'm only messing with you Inuyasha. You don't have to get so touchy."

Sesshomaru stood in his chair, clearing his throat. Everybody's eyes shifted over to him and the conversations stopped immediately.

"So, now that we're all here, some of us a bit sooner than others," he said, looking pointedly at his younger brother. "We need to start."

"I've been curious to know what was so urgent that it called me all the way from Adelaide…" Miroku spoke up. "I mean, it must be something huge, correct? Especially if it made Inuyasha quit on a treasure hunt to get here as soon as possible."

"How the hell-"

"It's quite amazing what a small fox youkai will do for a little piece of sugar."

"Okay, if we could get off of the subject of Inuyasha's cabin boy and find out what we're here for," Kagome said, looking towards Sesshomaru.

The oldest Inu youkai sat back down in his chair and folded his hands on the table. "Don't look to me, it's the hanyou that met up with the trouble."

All eyes traveled from the oldest brother to the younger, who leaned back in his chair and blew his bangs out of his face. When his hair flopped back down on his forehead, he spoke.

"We've been found out. The Youkai Syndicate knows we exist."

A few gasps and other noises of surprise came from the people sitting at the rectangular table.

"But how?" Ayame asked. "Our secret's so protected. Everyone who knows about it has been put under blood oath! Right Kagome?"

The raven-haired woman nodded. "So far as I know they have. Kaede-sama, Izayoi-sama, my sister, and even myself have placed the blood oaths on everyone who lives here and everyone in each of our crews. And even if someone here didn't have a blood oath on them, they'd be cast from the island. The barrier we put up doesn't let anyone without blood oaths enter. To the best of my knowledge, our methods are full-proof."

"I know, when I first found out, that's what came to mind. But somehow, I'm still convinced someone has betrayed us…" Inuyasha stated. "Maybe I'm just jumping to conclusions. But it's the only way I could think of."

"But who would do such a thing?" Miroku asked. "Everyone who lives here only benefits from the city. We're very prosperous; we take care of them… Why would someone turn their back on that?"

Kouga nodded from across the table. "Yeah, not to mention that we don't let just anyone into the city, or crew. We choose our crewmember's very carefully… and everyone in this city has some sort of connection to us, or the previous members of the Court. Only families, spouses, or very very very dear friends live here. If they did rat us out, they'd be ratting out someone they love also."

"Other than that, it's hard to break a blood oath. Hell, we all have them too, so we know it's unbreakable. It's a tradition carried out by all the mikos of the Goten no Kaizoku, since it was founded. That's hundred's of years that no one has been able to break it, why would that change now?" Sango wondered aloud.

All of them sat in silence, thinking over the things they had just said. All of it was true. In this city, only the dearest of the dear to them and their crew members lived here, so betraying them would without a doubt cause severe emotional distress. Besides, nobody could break a blood oath. Not even the seven captains, who had each had a blood oath placed on them when they joined. Except for the two Inu brothers, because they had been born and raised in the Goten no Kaizoku. Their blood oaths had been placed on them before they even understood what a pirate was.

That was the way of the Goten no Kaizoku. Ever since it was invented by the Pirate Queen years and years ago, the blood oath was a must in the keeping of the secret.

"We can come back to this later," Sesshomaru spoke up. "Inuyasha, tell us of the encounter you had with the youkai from the Syndicate."

"Okay… So I'm out at see right, and that monster of a storm is coming and I'm getting ready for it, when Shippo tells me he sees another ship from up in the crows nest. I figured that since it was heading straight for me that they weren't going to be too friendly with me. I ended up leaving my ship, and going over to the other ship to see what was up while my crew took my ship, circled around, and took them by surprise."

"So you basically acted as a decoy…" Miroku said, arching an eyebrow.

Inuyasha nodded. "Yup. My gut told me something wasn't right with the other ship, and I wanted to check it out. So I decided to be live bait to dig up whatever I could on the people aboard it."

"Clever," Sesshomaru said. Inuyasha smirked at the compliment his older brother gave him. It was extremely rare for him to receive one. "But extremely reckless. Continue."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, "Fine. So I get on the ship, demand to see the captain, and he comes out looking like a god damned blueberry in this blue European out fit. He said his name was Onigumo Naraku, and he was from the Syndicate. Don't know his rank, but he was definitely in the Outlaw Retrieval division. I could tell by the way he acted…"

"I know, I hate those bitchy over-glorified bounty hunters. They get on my nerves, and most of them reek," Kouga complained, crossing his arms in a huff.

"Anyway, He started asking if I was in the Goten no Kaizoku, I didn't deny it, didn't confirm it, but I think he knows I'm in it. I get the feeling he knows who you guys are too, just by the way he said, 'I want to kill you. You and the rest of the Goten no Kaizoku'," Inuyasha said, mimicking Naraku's voice. "Just out of curiosity, any of you heard of this guy? I took some of his papers in his cabin, I know he's been all over Europe and maybe South America and the Caribbean. Maps of them everywhere in that room."

"I might have," Kagome said. "I've heard about a guy named Onigumo last year, when I was in Peru. I heard that he had caught some notorious pirate out there, and he was going to be rewarded by some higher ups in the country. I figured he must be from Japan just by the way his name sounded. But I didn't really think it mattered to me, so I didn't look into it." Kagome looked to Inuyasha again, and he held her gaze for a moment before he looked away. She sighed, and looked down at the table. Sesshomaru was the only one to notice.

"Let's see some of those papers, dog-shit. They could be important," Kouga said, ending the silence.

Inuyasha, already so used to being called dog shit that he wasn't offended by it anymore, complied with his request. He pulled a bunch of papers that he had bound with string out of his coat pocket, and rolled them down to where Sesshomaru was.

"I was looking over these things and I thought they might be of interest to all of us, but mostly to you Sessh. It's got a trace of a bloodline in it. Starting from a several generations' back, leading all the way to our names, at the bottom. But it's in Spanish. There's also a list of members from Kouga and Ayame's pack, and Sango's old village. But that's as far as I got, sorting them out wise. It's a lot of stuff, I never finished looking through it."

Sesshomaru picked up the roll of papers and unwound the piece of twine that bound them together. Then he passed out papers to the people that they concerned, and made a pile for the papers that didn't have anything to do with them. Most people had at least three papers in front of them, except for the raven-haired beauty sitting on his right, and his own brother. Had this Onigumo not found anything worth looking at on either of them?

As he flipped through the papers, he came upon one in English that had Kagome's name written at the top of it.

"Kagome-san… There's a paper here with your name on it…" he trailed off. He looked at the paper behind it and the one behind that and the one behind that… In each one, he had found Kagome's name.

The girl in question looked to Sesshomaru. "What is it?"

Without saying a word, Sesshomaru dropped at least a dozen papers in front of her. She flipped through them quickly, her eyes widening at the amount of information this man managed to get on her.

"Little brother…" Sesshomaru spoke as he flipped through the rest of the papers. "The rest of these," he said, waving the large stack in the air, "Are on you."

At first, everyone had looked at Kagome in surprise, but now they all looked to Inuyasha. What was so special about him that Onigumo had to gather so much information?

"Let me see," Inuyasha said, holding out his hand. Sesshomaru obliged him, handing over the papers. He found several things, his birthday, his age, eyewitness accounts of his most famous battles and obstacles he had overcome. There was even a sketch of him amongst the papers.

"What the hell?" Inuyasha said to himself as he looked through the papers. Finally he came to the last page, which only held his name and two words at the bottom of it. The words were circled, and followed by a question mark. Inuyasha looked at them, then slowly red them aloud.

"Miko Prophecy?"

"Nani?" a few of them said together.

"Look," he said, passing the paper to his right, signaling for them to keep passing it when they finished looking. "The only thing on the page are my name and the words, 'Miko Prophecy'."

"I've… heard that before…" Kagome whispered. Only the youkai could hear her, with her voice so low.

"Where?" Sesshomaru asked. Completely bewildering Miroku and Sango.

"I'm… I'm not sure. The moment Inuyasha said those words, I knew exactly what they were, while not quite knowing everything… I'm positive I've never heard them spoken aloud together like that, but I feel as though I've always know what they mean…"

Kouga looked utterly confused. "And that means…?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes in annoyance. "She's saying that she recognizes the words, but she's not sure what they mean, idiot."

Kouga growled loudly in Inuyasha's direction.

"Well, Kagome you are a miko yourself. Maybe the words are significant to you because they have something to do with your kind," Sango reasoned. It seemed to make sense.

"That seems like it could very well be possible," Sesshomaru stated. "What I'm more focused on, is not trying to figure out what makes it significant to her, but more so why it is. Kagome-san, do you think there's anything that could tie you to this 'Miko Prophecy' other than the fact that you are a miko?"

Kagome shook her head. "Up until now, I didn't even know that I knew such a thing existed."

Miroku looked her in the eye. "So, you're sure that the words written on that paper are real, then? It's not something that this Onigumo has jotted down for the hell of it. You're certain that it does in fact exist?" Kagome nodded. "Well, since we know it exists, really there's an obvious thing we must do."

Ayame nodded. "Find out what exactly Onigumo wants with it. It's easy to see it was important, I highly doubt that he would write it down in his notes about us if it wasn't important."

"Hey…" all eyes turned back to Kagome. "It's written under my picture."

"Nani? Your picture?" Kouga asked.

"Yeah, he's got a sketch of me in here, and under it are the words Miko Prophecy. They're underlined twice."

"Okay, so there's no friggin way now that this thing isn't important if he wrote it down twice. Maybe we should try to find out just what it is, as well as trying to find out why it's important to him," Inuyasha said as he leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table.

Kagome nodded her head. "I agree with Inuyasha. Something inside me is telling me that this is something we need to know. Something that could possibly benefit us."

"Benefit us? I hadn't thought of that. Maybe, the reason why it's so important to him, is because it might be his downfall," Miroku said, clapping his hands together. "That must be it! If we figure out what this prophecy is, than maybe it'll help us defeat him!"

Sango didn't look convinced. "Every great warrior knows one thing about battle Miroku, your enemy's strengths can always be turned into their weaknesses. What if your theory is right and it can help us. What if it's also something that could destroy us too?"

"You can say that about just about anything, Sango-chan. There are too many what ifs right now. Maybe we should try gathering information before we try to puzzle out what everything means," Kagome said. "I have a hunch where we can start. Lady Kaede. She is a miko also, but unlike me, she's been living under the Goten no Kaizoku's protection all her life. She might know what this Miko Prophecy is if it has anything to do with the court."

Miroku nodded. "Okay, then I'll go talk to her tomorrow, first thing."

"I'll go with you." Miroku turned to Sango, who wasn't quite looking him in the eye yet. "I don't have anything to do tomorrow, and I'd much rather not be forced to stay at my father's house the entire day."

Miroku continued to stare at her for a moment before he smiled. "Then it's settled. Sango-sama and I will see to it tomorrow."

Kagome and Inuyasha looked at their friends with curiosity. Sango had actually volunteered to spend time with Miroku? And Miroku didn't say anything perverted about it? What the hell happened between them?

"Okay, so let's go through the things we know, a recap if you will," Sesshomaru said, straitening up his pile of papers as well as the miscellaneous ones.

"We know that Onigumo Naraku from the youkai Syndicate knows we exist," Inuyasha started.

"We also know that he knows who the members of the court are, and he has gathered a whole lot of info on us," Ayame continued.

Sango nodded her head. "But he doesn't know exactly where to find us. Otherwise he would have raided the city already, or at least been able to come in to contact with the rest of us by now."

"Also, we know that this Miko Prophecy is really important to him, and us. And that Kagome and Inuyasha both have some sort of connection to it, since he wrote it on both of their papers," Kouga reasoned.

"We also know, that this guy has some really valuable sources for his information. How he was able to figure out who is in the Court, we don't know. But we do know we shouldn't underestimate his knowledge at this point," Miroku said.

"And tomorrow, we will know even more about this Miko Prophecy, so we'll have more to go on then," Kagome finished.

They sat in silence for a minute or two, mulling over the facts brought to their attention.

"I think Onigumo might be a semi-well known guy in the syndicate. Even if he's not the most famous, he's still got some things being said about him. So maybe we should start digging on more information on him also. See if anyone we know here has heard of him, or maybe if he's even in the city books," Inuyasha said, referring to the makeshift library they had in the city.

Sesshomaru nodded in agreement. "That's a good idea. Maybe you should be the one to do it, since Izayoi-san is the bookkeeper. She may be able to help your search. Actually, I think I'll go with you, I have some things I need to look for in the books anyway."

"Alright. So I assume we're meeting back here tomorrow, correct?" Ayame said, looking around. Everyone nodded. "So what time are we expected back?"

"Well, I don't want to spend the whole damned night here again. We've actually been here for a few hours now," Inuyasha said in annoyance.

Miroku nodded. "I agree. I plan on getting up a bit early to go to Kaede-sama's though, so it can't be in the morning." He looked to Sango, who didn't look back.

"Yes, Inuyasha and I will probably end up going some time in the morning, since sleeping isn't really an object for us."

"So if it's not in the morning, and not at night, that just says lunchtime to me," Kouga said with a yawn, stretching his arms. He was tired of being in one spot for so long. It wasn't natural for a youkai of just twenty years to be sitting still for such a long time period. (A/N: Because a few hours is just way too long for people to sit still!)

"Lunch time… So when the sun is directly above the meeting place, it'll be time for us to be here," Kagome said.

"Exactly, so don't be late this time Kagy-kins!" Ayame teased, pointedly looking towards Inuyasha, who was already standing to leave.

The other six captains got up from their chairs, and left the room. Kouga, who was the last one out, put out the three torches that lit the room.

As they walked down the stairs that would lead them back out to the street Miroku cut in between Sango and Kagome's conversation. "So, Sango dearest. I will be at you house to pick you up around the same time the bridge merchants set up shop." He was speaking of the merchants who normally sold things on the only bridge in the entire city, that connected the two half circles that were cut in have by the stream Sango, just so happened to have a house over there.

Sango mumbled an okay, and then he nodded and hurried down the stairs to catch up with Inuyasha and Sesshomaru.

Kagome looked to her friend. "Okay, spill it. What the hell happened between you and perv-boy?"

Sango looked a little offended at Kagome's question. "Why do you just assume something happened?"

"Because you didn't send him flying through the roof of the meeting room on foot power not once! And he didn't make any nasty comments or anything to you! That's why!" Kagome said in a hoarse whisper. The miko gasped. "Don't tell me you hit him so hard some sense got knocked into him!"

Sango laughed. "Okay, even if something did happen, and I'm not saying it did! Why does it always have to be something that includes violence or pervertedness?"

"Because that's all you ever talk about when Miroku's involved. 'I can't believe he touched me like that' or 'I'll hit him so hard his ancestors will turn in their graves' is all I ever get when I ask how it's been between you two. Unless…" Kagome trailed off as they finally got of the stairs and stepped out of the building. "Sango! You didn't _sleep_ with him did you!?"

"NO! ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR BLOOMIN' MIND!?" Sango shouted at the top of her voice. The other members of the Court looked over at her in surprise at her outburst. Except for Sesshomaru, who oddly enough, kept walking.

Ayame trotted over to the two girls. "What on earth are you yellin' about?" she demanded, rubbing her ears. "Some of us do have sensitive hearing ya know! I'm surprised Inuyasha didn't come over here and—"

"Sango slept with Miroku!" Kagome whispered excitedly.

Ayame looked to the miko, than back to the other woman who looked about ready to murder her. "NANI!? WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN SH—"

Sango immediately clamped her hand down over Ayame's mouth. "Will the two of you be quiet! I did not sleep with him! Kagome's just jumping to conclusions again!"

Ayame visibly relaxed and Kagome looked apologetically at Sango. "Oops?"

Sango rolled her eyes. "You guys are way more trouble then you're worth!" she said, then stomped off in the direction of her home.

Ayame and Kagome simply shrugged at each other before they too bid each other goodnight and went their separate ways.

* * *

Miroku walked with his arms crossed over his chest and his eyes closed in concentration.

"You keep walking with your friggin' eyes closed, you're gonna run into somethin' mate," Inuyasha said, not even looking at him to know his eyes were closed.

"Inuyasha, thank you for your concern, but I am a highly trained monk of—Oops!" Miroku said, up until he tripped over a basket someone had left in the street.

"Houshi, when my brother gives you advice out of concern for your well being, you should probably take it," Sesshomaru advised as he extended his hand to help the monk to his feet. "It is very rare that he does so for anyone, so when he does give it, it tends to be pretty damn good."

"Exactly, listen to the man. He's got something goin' here," Inuyasha said, smirking at the now open-eyed monk.

"Okay, it's been killing me, since you and Sango came in to the meeting place!" Kouga shouted as he ran in front of everyone and started to walk backwards so he could look at Miroku. "Tell me, why the hell was Sango's scent all over you?"

"Nani!?" Inuyasha exclaimed, looking to his friend.

"Yes, I noticed it as well. To be honest, I'm curious," Sesshomaru commented.

"What the hell? I didn't—Nani?" Inuyasha said, looking at the other two youkai staring at him.

"Brother, if you had just been on time like everyone else before the scent faded away, then maybe you would have caught it like the rest of us," Sesshomaru scolded. "I'm sure that if you get close enough, the scent still lingers on his skin."

Inuyasha eyed Miroku, who started to back away. Within one second he had Miroku by his collar, lifting him off the ground and sniffing his neck. The next second, he dropped him.

"And you called me a dog!"

Sesshomaru scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"Not that way, he was trying to call me a hentai, not an inu!"

"Sorry to bust your bubble dog shit, but all guys are dogs. It's our nature," Kouga spoke; he of course had known from past experience just how much of a 'dog' he was.

"Now you sound like Sango. She thinks that all men in this world can't help but to jump anything that moves," Miroku stated with a hint of sadness in his voice.

"And its one fine example she's got to make that assumption on, now isn't it?" Inuyasha said sarcastically while pointedly looking at Miroku. "You only proved her right when you jumped her earlier today."

"Jumped her?" Miroku said in confusion.

"Yeah, how else could you have gotten her scent on you like that?"

Miroku looked genuinely upset. "You honestly think I forced myself onto Sango? All of you think this?"

Everyone sort of nodded, even Sesshomaru.

"Sango is a powerful strong woman. She could easily fend off any attempts by any human man made on taking her innocence."

"Oh come on Miroku. Hell yes, Sango's strong, but each of us know that if you really wanted to, you could easily overpower her," Kouga said.

Miroku stopped walking, and the three other men only noticed a few steps later. They turned to him and he looked angry.

"Is it really so hard for any of you to believe that I have enough self control to not force myself onto Sango? What you're talking about is rape here, and I thought that the four us were not those kind of pirates."

"Of course we're not like that mate, it's just that it's a little hard to believe that…" Kouga tried to explain.

"That what? She could have any interest at all in me? Well, if you three idiots must know, she put herself on me. That's right, your ears aren't deceiving you!" Miroku exclaimed at the two men in front of him that wore surprised expressions and Sesshomaru who wore a blank one. "She was jealous! She saw me with two other women that I bought drinks for, nearly killed me in front of them, then dragged me into an alley and kissed me. I didn't even try to do anything to her before she practically launched herself on me. And you know what?" Miroku paused, panting. "I think that her kissing me was more than just a simple kiss. There was way to much emotion behind it, and that's all that matters to me so you guys can assume anything you want about it!"

The three other captains looked at the flustered monk, who was still panting after yelling at them so much. He wiped his mouth on his sleeve, then shook his head.

"I'm going home, I'll see you guys noon tomorrow," he murmured. With that, he turned his back on them and walked off.

When Miroku was out of hearing range, Inuyasha kicked at the ground before sighing. "Keh, we shouldn't have done that."

"It's your fault dog shit," Kouga said as they all continued walking.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean mangy wolf?" Inuyasha asked with a little edge in his voice.

"You are the one who is his best friend. You probably made more impact than either me or Sesshomaru did."

Inuyasha stopped walking and got into Kouga's face. "Are you saying this is all my fault because I'm his friend?"

"No, I'm saying it's all your fault because you're his friend and you turned your back on him by saying that kind of stuff."

Inuyasha was silent for a while, and then he launched his fist into Kouga's face.

"Don't you ever say some shit like that again! I'm loyal to my friends and family. They're always what come first! I guess you don't know that though since you did turn your back on Ayame even though she was one of your own. It's not like it was her fault the two of you were supposed to get mated!"

Kouga's knee flew with great speed into Inuyasha's stomach. "Don't you talk like you know me dog shit! You don't know shit about my problems!" Kouga bellowed.

Sesshomaru took a step back and watched as the two captains continued their fight, knowing he'd have to break it up soon.

"Idiots."

* * *

Kagome soaked her body in the hot water of the Hot Springs. She hadn't bathed in warm water in the longest time, and to just relax in it made her feel a lot better.

When she had gotten home, she knew she couldn't sleep before her face even hit the pillow. So she grabbed her bathing items and headed for the hot springs. They were located on the East Side of the city, hidden in a large crevice in the cave wall. The room like structure was sort of sealed off from the rest of the city, so it was always dark inside. But torches were always lit to keep the springs open twenty four seven.

So she let herself float in the water, her hair floating about her head. She dipped her head under the water, to wash her face and then surfaced. That's when she heard it.

She recognized the sound as somebody grumbling and immediately hid behind a near by rock and peeked over the side. Through the mist she could see the outline of a person, most likely a man by the size and shape. The voice she immediately recognized.

Inuyasha grumbled to himself, murmuring about stupid ookami youkai and stupid older brothers interfering in his battles. He wore no shirt, but had a cloth that he used as a towel over his head far enough to hide his eyebrows but not his eyes. He still wore his black trousers and brown boots, but the buckles on them were undone and flopping around as he walked.

From behind her rock, Kagome watched as Inuyasha pulled the towel off of his head, revealing a large wound from his neck to the front of his shoulder. Blood dripped from his shoulder and snaked around his left arm. The miko winced at the sight of so much blood, yet Inuyasha paid it no mind.

The hanyou sat down on a rock underneath a torch so he was bathed in a light fiery glow. He pulled off his boots and set them down next to his towel then lifted his hips off the rock in order to pull off his trousers. Kagome blushed and turned away, trying to keep some of her dignity in tack. (A/N: Well she _is_ peeping at him ya know!)

She only turned back after she heard a splash and found him standing in the water. He was tall, so the water only rose to right below his chest, where as it rose high enough for Kagome to stand and not be exposed.

Inuyasha scratched his head, then dipped under the water. When he came back up the blood was gone, but the gash in his shoulder was still there. The look in his face clearly shown the pain the hot water put on his shoulder, but he determinedly dipped back under. He was washing his wounds.

He resurfaced a moment later, gasping at the pain no doubtedly shooting through his body. The captain placed his hands on his face then slipped them back to the braid in his hair. He untied the piece of string holding the braid together, and unwound his thick silver hair. After he finished, he waded his way over to the waterfall on the far side of the spring. He stood under it, washing his hair out in the water; his head tilted back and the water running down his chest. Needless to say, he looked effing hot.

Kagome became more bold, breathing rapidly as she tried standing on a rock underwater so she could see better. But clumsy little Kagome slipped, and fell with a yelp and a splash back underwater.

Inuyasha immediately snapped out of his water-induced trance and put all his senses on high alert. He wouldn't be able to use his nose in here, there was too much steam, and the waterfall drowned out his hearing. He could only rely on his sight at this point.

Searching the mist, he growled, then jumped a little when a person broke the surface of the water, flailing about and splashing water everywhere. When who ever it was stopped and calmed down he could tell it was a woman by the swell of her breast, that was mostly hidden by the murky water and the raven black hair that was in her face.

'Hold the phone, Raven Black? I only know one woman _that_ curvy with hair _that_ dark…'

"Kagome?"

Said woman parted her hair like a curtain in front of her face, revealing to him her bright red cheeks.

"H-Hey Inuyasha…"

"What the hell are you doing in here? You could have at least told me so I wouldn't get in!" he said, thinking more about her comfort than his own.

"It's not a problem, I'm fine!" Kagome said, crossing her arms and turning away from him. He was about to wade back over to the waterfall when she spoke again. "What happened to your shoulder?"

Inuyasha put a hand on his wound, as if he didn't want her to see it. "That damned Kouga. We got into a fight again and he ripped open my fuckin' shoulder."

Kagome sighed, and pulled all her hair to her front, to hide her chest, before turning back around wading over to the hanyou.

"Wh-What are you doing?" Inuyasha said, a little uncomfortable that she was getting so close.

"Keep still, let me see your shoulder," she said, barely above a whisper. She placed her hands on the broken skin and closed her eyes. "Do you want this fixed?"

"Yeah…"

"Then brace yourself," she warned. Before he had time to answer she squeezed his wound hard, her hands glowing a soft pink. He nearly called out it was so painful, and then it stopped. Just like that. He looked to his shoulder as she removed her hands and found blood, but no gash.

"How in the hell did you…?"

"I'm a miko, it's the kind of thing I do," she responded. She ducked back underwater and resurfaced, facing the opposite way.

"Um…. So…" Inuyasha tried starting a conversation, staring at her back. He rubbed the back of his neck when he couldn't figure out something to say.

"What was that, earlier today?" she spoke up.

Like an idiot, he had nothing to say but "Huh? Wha?"

She sighed and turned around. "Earlier today, what was that when we were outside the meeting room?"

Inuyasha sat there, trying to look like he was thinking when he knew full well what she was talking about. He had felt it too.

"You mean how you stared at me?"

Kagome scoffed. "Well, you stared back!"

Inuyasha smirked, and leaned closer to her. "So you admit you were starring?"

Kagome growled, to Inuyasha's surprise. "You looked at me the same way I looked at you. Be serious for once in your bloody life!" The two of them still couldn't help but snap at each other every once in a while.

Inuyasha's smirk faded away, and he searched her eyes for minute. He didn't blink, and he didn't step back after leaning in. "Okay, so what about it? I looked at you, you looked at me. What are you trying to make of it?"

"It's not that there's something to make out of it, it's that I saw something there already that I…"

"…That you?"

She shifted uncomfortably under his stare. "That I found interesting."

His stare didn't let up, he still didn't blink. "Something that you liked, maybe?" She nodded her head, unable to take her eyes from his. "Well? What was it?"

"I don't know. That's why I brought it up. I… I'd like to find out what it was."

Inuyasha didn't say anything. He continued to stare at her. She had never been stared at like that before. Sure, guys often looked at her, but when thy looked, it was never at her face, never her eyes."

His silence intrigued her even more than his gaze, and she was about to open her mouth when he took a step towards her. Reflexively, she took a step back, her back bumping against a boulder. He placed both of his large hands on either side of her body on the boulder and leaned in to her, their faces centimeters apart.

"Are you asking me if you can get to know me?" he said, barely above a whisper. She could feel his warm breath on her face as she nodded.

His eyes, if possible, became even more intense, and before she knew what was happening he kissed her.

Instinct told her to kiss back, and she did, raising her hands to his face and neck as the kiss turned into many chaste kisses. Inuyasha kissed his way from her lips, down her jaw line to her neck. He made it to her collarbone and nipped lightly. She gasped. It seemed to pull him back to reality.

He rested his forehead on her shoulder and they sat that way for a moment, completely forgetting the embarrassment of being naked together. (A/N: It's not like they can see anything anyway.)

"Okay," he said, pushing off of the rock and wiping his face with his hand. "Sure. Let's go get a drink tomorrow after the meeting."

She nodded her head slightly and he turned around, heading for his towel, trousers, and boots.

'Did that… Did that really just happen?' Kagome thought to herself.

* * *

**Oofie: "And that's that! I just gotta tell you guys, it might be a bit longer before I can update… school starts tomorrow. And that, just sucks ass."**

**Inuyasha: "Is school really that bad?"**

**Kagome: "Well, I never really got to school, remember? I'm always serving somebody as a jewel detector."**

**Inuyasha rolled his eyes.**

**Oofie: "HAHAHAHAHA! He said hold the phone… heh, my boyfriend says that a lot. 'Hold the phone' or wait a tick'. It's hilarious!"**

**Kagome: "There are no phones in that time period, Oo-chan."**

**Oofie: "SHHHHHHHHHH!!! They didn't need to know that!"**

**Inuyasha: "Yeah whatever. You have school, go to sleep Oofie."**

**Oofie: "But I don't wanna!!!!"**

**Inuyasha & Kagome: "BED, NOW!"**

**Oofie sighs and waves as she heads off to bed.**

**Oofie: "Bye bye readers…"**


	3. A Miko's Dream

**Oofie: "Okay, this chapter is really short, so I'm not going to waste time. I'm just gonna dig right into it… DISCLAIMER PLEASE!**

**Kagome & Inuyasha: "OOFIE DOES NOT OWN US OR ANYBODY ELSE FROM THE ANIME AND OR MANGA!"**

**A Miko's dream.**

Darkness. All darkness. She turned, she twisted but at every point of view, every line of sight, every angle was covered in darkness.

And yet, it wasn't dark.

The only word that could be used to describe her suroundings is darkness, nothingness, there was only space. But she was not blinded. She could see perfectly fine, in this dark light. She could see through, move through it, breathe it. The light was the dark, the dark was the light.

The dark was her light.

_Hello._

"Hello?" she called, responding to the voice. "Who are you?"

_I am all that surounds you. I am the dark. I am the light. I am everything you see here. Who are you?_

"Me?" she asked. She as about to speak her name, but something compelled her to respond differently.

"I am a Miko, living in the world of piracy. I am a holy child, born of sin, living a life in sin, and I will die in sin. I am the light. I am the dark. I am just like you."

_I understand, just as you do._

The voice said.

_Because we share the bond of being the light and being the dark, of being of holyness and sin, I will share with you a secret._

"A secret? Of what kind?"

_It is a secret of secrets. You may not even understand yourself… at first._

"I don't understand."

_Yes, yes you do. You just do not understand that you understand. Such is the beauty of my secret._

"Share with me this secret you keep. Curiousity fills me."

_Patience, one of dark and one of light. I will tell you, right now as a matter of fact._

"Yes, sister? For we are one in the same, I trust you to tell me what you need me to know."

_My secret is that all will know. Across the seas and the lands, all will know. Everything will be revealed, and you will understand._

She did not understand. What did this mean?

"Share more, sister of darkness and light. Tell me more of which you speak."

_I'm sorry, I mustn't._

"Why not?"

_Because it is time, young one, for you to awaken_

* * *

Kagome jumped up, sweating and breathing hard. What a dream she had. What a night. She pushed her strands of wet hair form her face and sighed.

Maybe I should tell Kaede-san about my dream, she thought. She quickly rejected the idea. No, she wouldn't understand. That dream was too weird for anyone to get.

Little did she know, that three other women were just waking up from the same dream in the city.

**Oofie: "It's short. I know. Don't have time. Gotta start next chapter! Don't worry, you'll get a lot more next chapter!!**


	4. Midoriko, The Pirate Queen

**Oofie: "Quick, quick! Start the chapter! Sorry I won't have time to answer reviews! Next chapter, I promise! GOOOOOO! DISCLAIMER!!!!"**

**Inuyasha: "Gosh, Oo-kun don't own me or anybody else in my show."**

**Kagome: "And here's some vocabulary!"**

**Oniichan – cute way of saying older brother**

**Otouto – little brother**

**Gutei – stupid younger brother**

**-dono – honorific**

**Midoriko, The Pirate Queen**

A girl no older than thirteen walked cautiously down the stone streets of the indoor city. It was amazing to her that such a remarkable place could ever exist. She had been lucky enough to be invited to live here, and be apart of the Goten no Kaizoku, a group that she had believed to be only myth until just a few days ago.

She ran her hand through her black wavy hair and pulled on the end of her sleeve that was much too long for her arm. She was nervous about the entire thing. She didn't know much about the Court, except that at this time it only had two captains and was looking to expand in numbers. The inu youkai that gave her the invite had been so formal and classy, she really hoped that she wouldn't be too uncivilized for them.

Now that she thought about it, Captain Sesshomaru was not that much older than she was. He was only sixteen, and he was one of the most handsome people she had ever met in the pirate business. She could only hope that the younger brother he spoke of was as handsome as he was. As far as she knew, he was just about her age, only a year older, and also a captain. She had heard of him before, the mere fourteen-year-old boy who defeated the great Thunder Brothers that was legendary across all oceans.

But it wasn't that fact that had her so interested in him. The reason she was so impressed with him was because every time she had heard of him, people talked about how he had overcome the obstacle of being born a hanyou. In her eyes, it didn't really matter what he was, but to other people it did and she admired him for ignoring that. She on the other hand still cried at night when she was alone because of the things people said about her being a miko and a pirate captain at the same time. Maybe she could learn something from this boy…

* * *

Sango opened her front door to find Miroku almost comically dressed in a large black hat, and long black overcoat that reached the floor. He immediately stepped inside her home without being asked in, and closed the door. 

"What in the hell are you wearing?" she asked, one eyebrow arched.

"Believe me," Miroku said, taking off his hat and smoothing out his hair. "I have good reason. Before we set off on this journey, I require your bathing tub, if you don't mind."

"Uh… sure, but why?"

"Never mind that, just please avert your eyes, unless you wish to see something gruesome."

"What could possibly be so gruesome that—Oh my god!" Sango exclaimed as Miroku gently pealed off the black coat to reveal what used to be a pure white cotton shirt, that was now soaked in his own blood and covered in dirt. "Kami, Miroku what the hell did you do!?

"Well, absolutely nothing, except make you jealous I suppose," he said thoughtfully as he slipped out of the shirt and exposed a stomach smeared with blood due to the gash in his left side. He laid the shirt over the coat so he wouldn't get blood on Sango's floor, and went to fill up the tub in the small makeshift backyard she had. The space must have been no bigger than two square yards, but Sango followed him and watched as he filled the tub with water from the pump coming from the ground, and set the tub down on a table back in her two room house.

"What's that supposed to mean? Because you did _not_ make me—"

"Sango, may I trouble you for a clean piece of cloth?"

She got up and walked into the back room. When she returned, she held a blue cloth and she handed it over to Miroku.

"So what was this crap about making me jealous?" she demanded.

"Yesterday," Miroku spoke through gritted teeth as he pushed the wet cloth into his wound. "You became angry with me because I was treating those two girls to a drink, yes?" He stopped for her to confirm it, but when she stayed silent he continued. "Well, after they overcame the shock that I apparently had a family, they let their older brother know that I had deceived them."

"Their… older brother?"

"Hai, childish if I do say so myself. But that's beside the point. Their older brother became so angry, that he hunted me down last night after I had left the guys. I lost him, but I figured that he'd keep coming for me, so I wore this little… disguise," he said pointing at the large jacket over to the side.

"But if you were disguised then how did you get hurt?"

"It's hot," Miroku explained, looking away from her for the first time he got there. "I couldn't take the heat from the weather and this jacket combined so I took it off for a second. I didn't seem him as he came up behind me with the knife. The rest, I think, is self explanatory."

Sango looked at him in the same way Sesshomaru might, with a blank expression. He could tell she didn't know what to say, and he knew that she felt bad about being the cause of his injury. But for a reason he didn't know, she was holding back those feelings. She didn't want him to see them. But why?

Miroku sat back in his chair and applied more pressure with the cloth. He was about to speak when Sango stood and walked into the second room. He could hear her rummaging around, then she returned with bandages in her hands.

"Sit on the table," she said nodding to the low table the washing bin was on. Miroku complied with her request and sat there. She kneeled in front of him and started wrapping the bandages around his torso.

Miroku relished the light touches her fingers occasionally made on his skin as she wrapped the white bandages around him. "Sango?" he just about whispered.

The woman kept working on bandaging his wounds, but acknowledged that she heard him by glancing at him.

"Why did you kiss me?"

She froze her arms on either side of him in the process of wrapping the bandage around him. She looked up at his face and breathed raggedly. He really was a handsome man, if you ignored some of the blood spatter on his left cheek. His violet eyes were filled with intensity as he looked into her own brown orbs and his mouth hung slightly open with air pushing in and out of it at a steady pace.

She leaned closer to him, careful of his wounded side and pressed her lips against his. He immediately responded and kissed back, placing his hand under her chin. The kiss was a lot gentler than the last but the emotion behind it was the same. The only word that could ever describe what they shared at that moment is beautiful.

When they pulled apart, even Miroku was breathing hard, and Sango's eyes were still closed as she rested her forehead on his.

"You still haven't answered my question," Miroku whispered.

"I… I couldn't help myself. I needed to know…" Sango said, her eyebrows knitted and her eyes still closed.

"Needed to know what?"

"If I really did have feelings for you," she answered, opening her eyes and blushing.

"And?" Miroku said, holding her hands in his. "Did you figure out what you needed to know?"

"Yes, I did."

Miroku looked at her with a small smile. "Well? Do you?"

She closed her eyes again and kissed him "Yes," she said, and kissed him again, "Yes, yes, yes, yes."

Miroku's smile broadened and this time he pulled her in for a kiss.

"So, Sango I'd like to know…"

Sango looked at him with a smile. "You'd like to know what?"

"Will you bare my children?"

The female captain rolled her eyes and laughed, then finished bandaging his wounds.

"I'll think about it. Now come on, we have to go see Lady Kaede," she said, helping him to his feet and walking out the door.

Miroku smiled to himself as he walked towards the door, "She said she'd think about it…"

* * *

"Hey!" 

The girl turned around at the sound of another's voice ripping her from her thoughts. Her eyes found a boy, maybe a year older than herself standing not far off from where she was. He had his hands shoved down into the pockets of a crimson colored coat that covered a black Chinese styled shirt and black trousers. On his head he had tied a crimson scarf from which his silver bangs poked out. The rest of his hair was in a braid.

"You're that new girl, right?" he said, his voice cracking most likely because he was entering an 'awkward stage' of his life. (A/N: translation, he's fourteen, he's going through puberty, and his voice is bound to change…)

The girl nodded her head, her hair tossing around her head. The young boy walked over and pulled his hand out from his pocket and offered to her. She couldn't help but notice the claws on the ends of his fingers. But as soon as she shook his hand and looked up into his eyes, any type of thought process completely eluded her. His golden orbs were bright and full of emotions, even when he was trying not to show them. Right now, his body language was completely professional, but his eyes communicated that he was genuinely interested in her.

"Takahashi Inuyasha," he said as he let her hand go and jabbed his thumb into his chest. "My brother didn't tell me your name."

"Um… I-It's Higurashi. Higurashi Kagome."

For the first time, he smiled his oversized fangs that he would have to grow into peeking out from underneath his lopsided grin. "Come on, I've been assigned the job of helping your figure out your way around here. Oh, and getting you ready and to the festival on time tonight. You kinda are the guest of honor, only makes sense for you to be on time. So, let's get started!"

Kagome watched as the young hanyou talked a mile a minute, then he pulled her by her arm down the street, trying to give her a quick citywide tour within the hour.

She had only just met him, but she could tell that Inuyasha and herself would have a very interesting time together.

* * *

"Oi, Sessh!" Inuyasha called as he walked up to his brother, who was standing not too far from himself. 

Sesshomaru turned around to look at his brother. "On time I see, oh gutei of mine."

"Shut up Sesshomaru, if you're gonna call me your little brother, the least you can do is say otouto and not gutei. It's insulting the way you say it," Inuyasha said with a look of annoyance on his face.

Sesshomaru nearly rolled his eyes at the thought. "I'll call you otouto when you call me oniichan."

Inuyasha stuck his tongue out in disgust. "Ugh! Never!"

"Then gutei it is. Come, we have a lot to do when we get to the Books."

Inuyasha followed behind his older brother obediently but grudgingly and murmured something that sounded suspiciously like 'Oniichan my ass'…

* * *

Fifteen-year-old Kagome tossed around a white sack tied shut with twine as she walked down the street. She felt very accomplished since it had taken her nearly half an hour to sweet talk her first mate Houjo out of the sack in the first place, and now she was off to deliver it as a present to a nice man named Ouji. 

She had a smile on her face as she passed by the shops and traders I the street. She had heard that Inuyasha had arrived only a few hours before her, and she was excited as ever to see him. It had been three months since the two had seen each other last. Her boots lightly tapped on the stone street as she walked, nearly skipping down to Ouji-dono's tea house.

When she finally got there, she lifted the flap up in the doorway and stepped inside with a large grin on her face. "Ouji-dono! I've brought you a gift!"

"Oh, Kagome-san!" the old man said from behind the bar like counter he worked at. The older woman he had just been talking to also turned around in her stool and smiled at Kagome.

Kagome greeted the woman and sat down next to her as she plopped the small sack down on the counter. "This, Ouji-dono, is fine Acacias Tea from the mainland! It's pretty rare, I figured that you might enjoy it." She slipped her hat off of her head and put it down next the white sack of tea.

The old man's face visibly brightened. "Ahhh, arigato Kagome-san! You do to much for this old man!"

"Oh, nonsense! I like doing nice things for people I care about. It's fun," she said with a smile. "But, if you feel that bad about it, than you can do one thing for me," she said, holding up one finger and winking at the old man.

Ouji smiled knowingly and nodded his head to the doorway that led to the backroom. "He came here looking for you, but I managed to rope him into lifting a few things for me in the back, he should actually be done any second—"

"Oi, Ouji! Why don't you just hire some young guy to do your heavy lifting, eh?"

Kagome grinned and looked over towards the back of the teahouse to find sixteen-year-old Inuyasha walking out of the back room. His eyes were closed as he rolled his shoulder, pretending that lifting anything in this old teahouse was really a difficult task for him.

"Inuyasha-kun!"

Inuyasha immediately snapped his eyes open and had just enough time to say "Kago—Oomph!" before she launched herself into his arms, latching her own around his neck.

Inuyasha gagged. "Windpipe… being… crushed…!"

Kagome loosened her arms and stepped away from Inuyasha, blushing a little. "Sorry."

Inuyasha rubbed his neck and grinned. "It's fine," he said a little hoarsely. "I missed ya, what you been up to?"

"Following up on some leads about this guy who put a slight curse on my first mate, nasty little curse it was. I would've helped him myself but it turned out that only the person who put it on him would be able to take it off. We found the guy eventually, but it took up a lot of time."

"Speaking of curses," Inuyasha said, digging around in the front of his shirt and pulling out a necklace made of black beads and fangs, "You're taking this off me!"

Kagome laughed nervously, "Why, whatever do you mean Inuyasha? Only the person who put that on you can take it off!"

"Yeah, and why don't you take a guess on what I finally got Kaede to tell me about who put this damned thing on me?"

"Shit!" Kagome cursed under her breath. "So, she told you about that huh?"

"Yes, and after you take this damn thing off, you and I are going to have a little… chat," Inuyasha said, trying to be intimidating. Luckily for him, it was working on Kagome.

"Uh… um, Oh my god! Is that a free ramen sign across the street!?" she said, pointing out the door.

Inuyasha twitched a little, he really wanted to look, but he stood his ground and shook his head at her. "Not happening."

"Oh…" she said, a little disappointedly. "Well… Toodles!" she waved before she bolted for the door.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Hey Ouji, think about what I said about hiring somebody," he told the old man before he took off.

Kagome was sprinting down the street, her hair blew wildly around her as she used what little training Kaede had given her so far to turn some of her miko power into energy to pump her legs faster. She really had thought it was a good idea until she rounded a corner and skidded to a halt at the sight of Inuyasha leaning against the wall in front of her with his hands jammed into his pockets. He had nearly given her a heart attack.

"That's a nice little trick there Kags. But you're gonna need a lot more training before you ever get faster than me. You know that."

Kagome scowled and crossed her arms over her heaving chest. "Well, if you really want it off _that_ badly,"

"Kagome, ever since you put this thing on me, I've been randomly face-planting into the friggin ground. _Yes, I really want it off that badly_!"

Kagome smirked, something she only started doing ever since she'd met Inuyasha. "Oh, it's not random. You face-plant every time I say sit."

THUD!

"…Oops."

Inuyasha stood, and looked really annoyed. "Kagome, what the hell is wrong with you?" The way his voice cracked scared, her, especially since his voice had stopped doing that about a year ago.

"Um, well…" she struggled to come up with something good to say back, but it seemed her brain had gone on strike. "Okay, I give. It was a prank on you… But it was all Miroku's idea! Even if you two are getting to be good friends and all, he knew that the little seagull stunt you pulled was just plain dirty and he wanted to help me get back at you! Blame him!"

Inuyasha looked at her silently, making a mental note to kill the new Court Member immediately. "Just take it off me."

Kagome looked at her feet and twiddled her fingers. "But it looks so cute on you."

Inuyasha almost couldn't keep a straight face as he looked at her. She looked like a five-year-old who had just been caught with her hand in the cookie jar. Holding back his laughter, he growled at her instead and she finally took a hint.

"Oh fine!" she said. She stepped forward and tapping the necklace three times with her index finger. After that she re-crossed her arms and sulked.

Inuyasha looked bewildered. "It's still on me."

"Yes, but it's neutral now. You can keep it on, and even when I say sit," Inuyasha flinched, but nothing happened, "You won't face plant."

The hanyou sighed and started to take off the necklace, then Kagome yelped out a "NO!" before pulling it down on his neck again.

"What the hell Kagome?"

"It…. It's so cute on you!! Inuyasha it's the perfect accessory!"

Inuyasha growled in annoyance and walked away from her, knowing that she'd follow him. "Keh! Get over yourself Kagome! I'm not gonna keep wearin' this piece of junk!"

Kagome sighed and trotted to catch up with him. "Whatever you say." She glanced at him and smiled.

He still had yet to take the beads off.

* * *

Kagome looked up from washing her face at the sound of banging on her door. She quickly dried her face on her makeshift towel and walked over to the large wooden bolted door. "Who is it?" 

"Well it's not the milk maid!" Ayame called from outside.

Kagome quickly opened the door with a large smile, which faded away instantly when she saw just whom Ayame brought with her.

"Aw, Kagome don't look that way! It was either bring him along, or have him tail me to see where you live. I decided to go with the option of not being stalked," Ayame answered her friend's unspoken question. She was referring to Kouga, who up until now had never been to Kagome's house. Needless to say, he was never invited.

"As if I'd stalk you. I'd only be using you to get to Kagome," he said in defense.

"Which is no better! I shouldn't even let you come in!" Kagome shouted, furious at how his comment had hurt the female youkai, even if she refused to show it.

"Just let him in Kagome, or he'll just sit outside your door, growling at every male that walks by," Ayame spoke tiredly as she walked into Kagome's home. Unlike Kouga, she had actually been invited.

Kagome looked at Kouga with disgust before rolling her eyes and stepping inside, leaving the door open for him. He eagerly stepped inside and started sniffing around, closing the door behind him.

Ayame sat on one of the barrels Kagome had in her house as makeshift counter space and furniture that sat against the walls. "So, the agenda?"

"We pick up my sister, dodge the rest of my family, then meet up with Houjo and Akitoki and Jin, and go for breakfast since it's still early. Then we'll run the errands we need done, take Kiki-chan shopping, and maybe have a drink if we get done before noon," Kagome said. She pulled on a brown leather corset over a fitted button up cotton shirt that she had cut the sleeves off of, making it look more like a halter top kind of thing. Other than that, she wore black trousers and her brown boots.

"I love being able to change cloths daily. It's something I only have time for when we're home," she smiled, picking up an empty sack and tucking it into her belt.

"Tell me about it," Ayame smiled back, smoothing her hands out over the short black and green kimono she wore that only just ended mid-thigh. To top it off she had on black leather boots that went up to her knees and black bangles on her wrists.

"Okay, out ya wolves!" Kagome said playfully nodding towards the door as she hooked her large ring of keys onto her belt as well.

The trio exited Kagome's house and she locked the door behind her.

* * *

Miroku and Sango walked into Kaede's medicinal shop on the far end of the city at eight-thirty sharp. It had been a long, but enjoyable walk from Sango's to the far end of the city, even if it had been a silent journey. For them, being in the presence of one another was enough for right now. 

When they entered, the spicy smell of incense consumed their noses and their eyes began adjusting to the dim lights inside. Many shelves of bottles and herbs lined the walls, a few spider webs lined the corners, and Kaede sat on one of many cushions on the floor. When they had came in her eyes were closed in meditation, but as they approached her she had her eyes open, but half-lidded, examining them.

"I really don't have the time to explain to ye what the prophecy is," Kaede spoke. "And besides, I barely know it myself. But I assure ye, that when I know, ye will know also," Kaede spoke, and reclosed her eyes for meditation as if that would solve all problems, even world hunger.

Sango looked confused, but Miroku's face did not change a bit as he calmly sat down in front of the old miko.

"I had a hunch you would know what we came for before we even opened our mouths. I've heard of you infinite knowledge and brilliant deduction skills from Kagome-san. Would you mind enlightening us on how you knew we'd come?" Miroku complimented the old woman, talking in a serious tone.

"You give too much credit. Once I had the nightly visions is was simple to figure out that you'd be coming."

"Nightly visions?" Sango asked.

Kaede looked from one captain to the other. "You don't know about the nightly visions?" When both of them shook their heads no, the old woman sighed. "I figured that you would know already, especially since the Higurashi sisters and Takahashi is having them."

"Kagome, Kikyo and Inuyasha are having nightly visions?" Miroku asked, and little confused.

"No no no, Inuyasha is not the only Takahashi here in this city," Kaede said, rolling her eyes.

Sango arched an eyebrow. "Sesshomaru?"

"IZAYOI!" Kaede shouted, annoyed. "Izayoi was mated to Inutaisho, making her apart of the Takahashi clan. _She_ is the Takahashi I speak of!"

Miroku and Sango both had the silent "Oh" look on their faces as Kaede shook her head at the two of them.

All four of the mikos here have most likely been having these nightly visions in the form of odd dreams. There are no pictures in these dreams, just a light… of sorts…"

"What do you mean?" Miroku questioned.

"It's hard to describe to someone who has never seen it. But if I were to have no choice but put it into words, I'd have to describe it as a bright dark light."

"A bright dark light? Isn't that an oxymoron?" Sango commented.

Kaede looked exasperated. "I told you it's hard to describe, and what it looks like isn't the important part. What is important is what the dreams sound like!"

"So, share with us what they sound like," Miroku shrugged.

"Simple. It sounds like the Pirate Queen."

"Pirate queen?" Sango and Miroku asked in unison.

"Hai, the Pirate Queen, mother of the Goten no Kaizoku. Midoriko."

* * *

Izayoi looked up towards the large entrance doors to the oldest building in the entire city, known to all involved with the Goten as the Books. At that moment she was standing behind a shelf of books which she was barely tall enough to see over it, but the distinct sound of two brothers arguing and a glimpse of two silver heads, one sporting dog ears, told her exactly who was paying her a visit. She could only wonder what on earth was so urgent that they both willing came here together. She sighed, and started walking towards the end of the long bookshelf. _Only one way to find out I suppose._

Izayoi took small but swift steps to the two young men standing in the light from the door, listening to them bicker about how insulting Sesshomaru supposedly was. "Don't you two ever get tired of fighting?" she asked, placing her hands on her hips.

The two silver-haired men looked over towards the woman, one grinned a little, and the other nodded to her. She walked the remaining steps between them and enveloped them in hugs at the same time.

"Ma, you just saw us yesterday," Inuyasha said, giving her an one-armed hug.

"I know… But who knows when you two will come back to me," she said, her voice wispy. Inuyasha and Sesshomaru exchanged looks over her head before she backed away with a nervous smile on her face, wiping her eyes. "So, I figure that I got to get all the hugs in while I still can."

There was an awkward silence between the trio before Izayoi shifted a little and spoke up. "So… what'd you guys come here for?"

Kagome stood next to her sister, talking to a man in the market, trying to get a good deal on a few sacks of beans. Houjo stood on her left, putting in his two cents when it was needed and nodding his head whenever Kagome spoke. He was so lucky.

Akitoki stood next to Ayame, who was helping Jin fill three barrels full or rum across the street from Kagome. The man sighed, leaning next to the enormous barrel of rum with the tap that everyone used to fill cups and barrels. Jin, another female Ookami youkai (with a rather boyish name) and Ayame's first mate, patted him on the back.

"Akitoki-kun… the way I see it, you've got two choices. Numero uno," she said, throwing an arm over his shoulders and holding up one finger. "You give up on becoming friends with Kagome-san, or numero dos, you grow yerself some cojones and get yer ass over there! Comprende?"

The man sighed and blew his bangs out of his face. "I only wish I could… I respect Captain-sama so much, I only wish to become her friend… but whenever I get close, I clam up…"

Ayame rolled her eyes at her first mate and her friend's cook. They were something else. "Jin-chan, ever since we've been down to Spain you've been speaking Spanish. How on earth did you manage to learn so many words in such a short time?"

"Simple, baby, simple," Jin said, grinning. "I'm an effing espanol prodigy."

Ayame laughed, "Yeah, sure. You picked that Spaniard's brain didn't you?" She was referring to the unique ability Jin had to ascertain information from people's minds by maintaining contact with them and concentrating, much like a person would concentrate while picking a lock. Hence the nickname, Brain-Picking.

"Eh, what can I say? The man couldn't keep his hands off me, and I'm not the kind of girl to let such an opportunity slip through my theivin' digits."

"Ohhhh, I wish I had that kind of enthusiasm…" Akitoki said, hanging his head and crossing his arms. Bother Ookami women looked at each other with worry. Jin smirked, and hooked her arm around his.

"Okay, Mr. Houjo. You wanna talk to Kagome, then God damn it you're gonna talk to Kagome!" and with that, she started draggin' the poor man over across the street, while he desperately tried to make his way back.

Kikyo tapped her sister on the shoulder as they finished bartering and nodded her head towards Jin and Akitoki, who had just made it behind them.

Kagome looked over her shoulder and smiled at the two. "Hey guys, what's up?"

Jin said nothing, but grinned wildly and patted Akitoki on the back as he struggled for words. She saluted Kagome, then went back across the street to tend to her Captain. Kagome just looked at Akitoki in bewilderment.

"H-H-H-H-Hell-Hello C-C-Captain-s-s-sama!" Akitoki stuttered.

She smiled at him, her coffee colored eyes beaming. "Hello, Akitoki! Ya know you can call me Kagome if you want to.

After all, we should be close. You do kind of prepare my food, and my grandfather always tells me that I should be able to trust my cook. Right Onee-chan?"

Kikyo nodded, smiling kindly at the man. "Yes, and he has a point."

"I hate to interrupt, Higurashi-san, but in order to be able to take Kikyo-sama shopping as you promised, we'd better get going as soon as possible, especially since Ayame-sama and Jin-kun are finishing up now," Houjo cut in. Always the rational one, that Houjo…

"Y-Y-Yes! We m-m-m-must be on our w-w-way," Akitoki agreed. He was on a roll! He had completed two whole sentences in a conversation with the captain, and hadn't fainted! The gods must have been smiling down on him at that moment.

Kagome nodded, then grabbed her sister's hand and called out to Ayame, who was just finishing up making arrangements for the barrels of rum to be delivered to her ship.

As the rest of the group walked on, Akitoki and Jin lagged behind a little.

"So mate, saw ya talkin' to Captain Kags. How'd it go?" she inquired, nudging him with her elbow.

He smiled and sighed, "It was wonderful! I feel so warm inside! Oh, thank you Jin, if it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been brave enough to speak with her, other than on professional terms."

"Aw, don't be getting' mushy on me Aki-kun. You still have a lot of work to do before you can have a full blown conversation with her," she said, draping an arm over his shoulders once again. "But for now, why don't ya go buy me a drink after we get done with our captains' errands and such?"

"Jin-san, it'll only be noon when they're finished!"

"So?"

"Isn't that a little… early to be drinking?"

Jin looked at him, wondering if he was serious. He was.

"Let me tell you something, 'kay mate?" she said, leaning her head towards his. "If I ever hear those words in that order come from your mouth while you're still a pirate, I'll shoot you and tell everyone you slipped and fell. Savvy?"

Akitoki nervously gulped. "S-Savvy…"

Just as quickly as she had slipped into her dark mood, she slipped back out and patted him on the back. "Okay! TO THE PUB!"

Jin could be just a tad scary sometimes…

* * *

"Midoriko?" Miroku repeated. "You mean you've been having nightly visions where the Pirate Queen herself has spoken to you?" 

"Hai, that I have."

"But, Midoriko-sama has been dead for years, decades, hell, centuries! And you're telling me that she's speaking to you through your dreams from beyond the dead?" Sango questioned skeptically.

"Hai. But it is not only I who has been having them. Just as I said, the three other Mikos living in the city are having them too. But because they probably do not know of the legend or the Miko Prophecy, then these dreams don't mean a thing to them."

"Well, Kaede-sama. What does she say in these visions?"

Kaede closed her eyes and sighed.

"She says it's time. It's time that all will be revealed of what she saw, and that the greatest test awaits the one and the only."

"The Miko Prophecy?"

Inuyasha nodded, searching through the bookshelf that contained most of the Goten no Kaizoku records. "Yeah, apparently this Naraku guy knows something we don't, and according to Kagome it's got something to do with the Court. She just doesn't know what."

"So, our logic is that we must search city records to find out what it is, if it indeed has something to do with us," Sesshomaru spoke.

"Well, your logic is pretty messed up. If you're looking for a Miko Prophecy, you should have just searched your memories," Izayoi said, examining her nails.

Sesshomaru and Inuyasha looked to each other. "What do you mean, 'search your memories'?"

The woman smiled. "Do you two remember when you were very young, and I used to tell you the legend of the Pirate Queen?"

"I remember. Everybody knows that legend. It's how the Court came to be," Sesshomaru said.

But she just shook her head. "No no, look deeper. I told you two stories of the Pirate Queen. The first is of how she came to power, the second—"

"…Was of her vision." Inuyasha finished. "I remember that… You told us that Midoriko had a vision of the future. She saw these visions every day for a week straight, but never saw the ending to them. Before she died, she told her children to spread the word that she had seen…"

"A Miko Prophecy!" Izayoi finished. "It's just legend, but there is a scroll that her actual children wrote, describing what she told them. I've read it before, it may not be much help," she said, walking towards the back of the building, expecting them to follow. "It doesn't say what her vision was. She didn't tell them. She only told them to pass on her words, that one day in the distant future, everyone will know… what she… saw…"

Izayoi stopped walking, her eyes wide as she stared up at the ceiling.

"Mom?" Inuyasha stepped forward. "Mom, what is it?"

"It… it's already started…" she whispered. "Midoriko… She's already started…"

* * *

Kagome dropped the box she was carrying, her eyes wide and her mouth tightly shut. Her legs had locked, and she was staring at the ground. 

Kouga looked back at her when he noticed she had stopped walking. "Kagome? Kagome what's wrong?"

Jin turned back around when she heard Kouga speak. When she saw the state Kagome was in she turned to call to Ayame, but she found that Ayame was already busy with Kikyo, who was in about the same situation as Kagome, only a few steps ahead.

The Houjo brothers both looked from Kikyo to Kagome in concern, not really knowing which one to tend to first.

"Oi, Kouga! What's wrong with her?" Jin asked, jogging towards Kagome.

"I dunno… she just stopped moving. It barely even looks like she's breathing…" Kouga said, starting to panic.

The sound of Ayame howling in pain turned them both around, blinding them to Kagome who had just began to glow a bright light pink. They felt her power searing their backs before they could do anything, and they stumbled forward.

Akitoki rushed to their side to see if they were hurt badly, but it was nothing serious. They were more concerned about Kagome, who appeared to have lost consciousness while standing up, with her miko powers flaring.

One look at Ayame, who had Houjo by her side, examining her arm and Kikyo who was glowing light blue told them that whatever Kagome was going through, her sister was experiencing it too.

* * *

Miroku sat shielding Sango from the gusts of wind that had suddenly formed in the small room at the bright white light that had engulfed Kaede. 

She had suddenly stopped speaking, her eyes wide and her mouth still open from mid-sentence. Then she started glowing, a soft white at first, but then it became brighter, and caused the wind to suddenly pick up, even though they were inside.

"Miroku! What's happening?" Sango shouted over the roaring sounds of the wind and the humming of Kaede's power.

"I'm not sure, but it might not be safe for us to stay here much lo—AH!" he yelped as one of the bottles flew from the shelves a broke across his still bare back. He winced, making sure to block any other objects flying from the shelves from making contact with Sango's body.

Sesshomaru squinted at the deep forest green light that was flowing from Izayoi's body. His brother stood only a few feet away from him, his arm shielding his eyes from the swift winds caused by her power. Neither of them dared to move, knowing that with such power they could be purified with even the slightest contact, now that her power levels were out of control. The green light started rolling off her in waves, hitting them like aftershocks of an earthquake. It knocked down shelves and tables and blew out torches. Papers were sent flying about the room with every wave that hit. The two brothers stood their ground, occasionally being pushed back with the force of each wave, their feet sliding across the floor.

Her power only continued to grow, and after a while the waves became painful shocks, hitting them with such a force that their skin bore burn marks in several different places.

They wouldn't be able to take much more of this.

* * *

Everyone on the street had run and took cover from the two girls, their power becoming stronger and stronger. The pink and blue waves that flowed form their bodies began cracking the walls of the buildings around them and it had already started to put cracks in the ground. 

Houjo and Akitoki had pulled the three Ookami behind a building, knowing full well that they would be purified if they stayed too close. Houjo peeked out from the side of the building and looked at the two girls with worry.

"Brother, what will we do? We can't leave them this way!" Akitoki spoke up.

"I'm afraid there's nothing we can do right now Aki-kun…"

* * *

Sango held on to Miroku's shoulders, trying to move him out of the way, but he was determined to not let anything fall on her. So far, many bottles and pots had fallen onto his back, many of which braking at the force they were thrown. He was already hurt, and now he was being pummeled with everything on the shelves. Needless to say, Sango felt horrible that it was all on her behalf. 

Suddenly the wind ceased to exist, and everything that had been in the air dropped back down to the floor with loud crashes. The light had disappeared too, along with the loud humming.

Miroku looked cautiously over his shoulder at Kaede, whose gray hair had gotten out of its restraints and was flowing around her as she glowed a dim white in the darkness. The monk pulled his tired and battered body away from Sango and he sat on a space on the floor that wasn't covered in debris. He was breathing hard, his eyes half lidded. He knew Sango was looking at him, but he pointed to Kaede. "Look."

And she spoke.

* * *

Izayoi stood, basking in a dim green light, her black hair moving around her. Her eyes were closed when she started to speak. 

"Made out of rape, there was no consent,

Such a holy child, born of sin

Could be nothing less than a Pirate Queen."

* * *

It was as if the two sisters sucked the light from their surroundings and wrapped it around themselves. Their voices melded together as they spoke, both Houjos listened carefully, knowing that it was important by instinct. 

The three Ookami began to stir, now that the miko power was descending back to normal levels. They two listened closely to the words the sisters spoke.

"All Kaizoku know of Midoriko, the Mother of the Goten,

All the stories and legends are all well known,

But now we mikos have a story to tell.

With words from the mouth of the Pirate queen herself."

* * *

"A vision came to Midoriko, just before her last fateful day, 

That the Goten no Kaizoku would prosper for many years to come.

Until everything we've built is threatened, which unfortunately has started.

We have but only one hope in this, our time of darkness."

Kaede spoke smoothly, effectively placing Sango and Miroku under a spell of silent awe. Watching the old woman was like watching an unbroken flowing river in the mist. It was a mystic beauty.

* * *

"He is our unlikely hero, our brilliant light that shines through the dark. 

He has the power to stop piracy extinction; he could be our savior."

Izayoi's light started to brighten once more as she spoke.

* * *

The five of them sat behind the building, peeking out at the light growing brighter as Kikyo and Kagome spoke together. 

"He is the one and the only. He is our Pirate King."

* * *

**Oofie: "God that took forever, but I can't stay long. Gotta go go, always in a rush…. DAMN YOU SCHOOL! SO MUCH HOMEWORK!!!!"**

**Kagome: "I know!!! I hate it!!!"**

**Inuyasha: "Oh get over it…"**

**Kagome & Oofie: "WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!"**

**Inuyasha: sighs and shakes his head. "I'm gonna go…"**


	5. Out of Love and Hate

**Oofie: "Chapter 5 baby! Yeah! Who's bad? I'm bad… who's bad? I'M BAD!"**

**Kagome does the 'I'm bad' dance with Oofie.**

**Inuyasha: "…"**

**Oofie: "Anyhoo, welcome my lovely readers to chapter 5! I'm excited about this chapter, because it sort of kind of gives you information on important topics in the story! Now, hows that for a woohoo?"**

**Inuyasha: "What's wrong with you?"**

**Oofie: "Well, this is how I always act after consuming a box of chocolate covered soy nuts, two cups of black coffee, six sugar stix, and three frostys from Wendy's!!!"**

**Kagome: "It's a sugar rush!"**

**Inuyasha: "Oh…"**

**Oofie: "'Whyyyyy do we have emotional pirates!?!?!? Pirates aren't emotional!' asked my friend the other day as she read my story. I thought to myself well I wonder who else has had this problem, wondering why the hell a pirate story, filled with friggin blood thirsty pirates kind of resembles something from "All My Children"… Which I never watch, but my mom and my grandma do, and it seems really dramaful… **

**Inuyasha: "Is there a point to this?"**

**Oofie: "YES!!! F Y I my readers, the reason they are so emotional, is cause they are pirates! They're not supposed to be emotional outside their safe place! Whenever they come home al at the same time, it always gets emotional!!! Think about it!"**

**Inuyasha: "Okay…"**

**Kagome: "She's twitching…"**

**Oofie: "Disclaimer! Do it now!!!"**

**Inuyasha: "Uh… Okay… Oofie does not own me, the idea of me, the anime of me, or the manga of me, or my movie, or my action figure, or…"**

**Kagome: "Are you through?"**

**Inuyasha: "Or any other merchandise of me or whatever… Now I'm through."**

**Oofie: "VOCABULARY!!!!"**

**Kuttabachimae – Basically means "fuck you" or "Go die"**

**Kusottare – bastard**

**Sumimasen – "I'm sorry" "I apologize"**

**Kenkoubi – remarkable feminine beauty**

**Arigato – "Thank you"**

**Baka – Stupid or Idiot**

**Nande – "WHAT!?" (Thanks Auroras-Flame!!")**

**Out of Love and Hate**

Kagome jogged back towards Ouji's teahouse, trying to hurry as not to keep Inuyasha waiting. Apparently, Inuyasha had something planned for the two of them to do that day, and by the way he blushed when he mentioned it, it must have been extremely special. She couldn't wait to get back to him to find out.

At the moment he was waiting for her to get back from retrieving her hat from Ouji's, which she had so intelligently left siting on the bar counter. He told her that he'd wait for her at the bridge in the center of the city.

She decided to take the back way, thinking that it was a lot quicker, since she could avoid the traffic of people at this time of day. She jogged through the alleys and hopped over boxes set out at the back of shops. Finally she reached the open backdoor of Ouji's teahouse and stepped inside the back room that he used as storage space. She was about to step through the curtain the old man had hanging in the doorway to separate the two rooms when she heard her name being tossed around by the two people in the shop. Being the nosy person she was she decided to sit behind the curtain and listen in.

"Now now, Mayu-san. Don't you think you're being a little harsh?" Ouji said, a little reprimand in his voice.

"Heavens no!" said the old woman who had been sitting in the shop the last time Kagome entered. "That Kagome girl will have to learn that you just don't mess with some things in this world."

"'That Kagome girl' as you so lovely put it, is a great judge of character. She knows who or what to associate herself with," Ouji spoke again and a sense of pride spread through her at him defending her from whatever accusations the woman as making.

"You think so? Then explain to me why a Miko such as herself ended up a Captain in the Goten no Kaizoku? Miko are supposed to be the only holiness on earth, and she's wasting her pure blood by even dreaming of a life of piracy. And now she is screwing a dirty-blooded hanyou. An Ainoko, Ouji! She's a whore. What a waste of divine power."

Kagome's sense of pride quickly drained from her. Everything became quiet except for the echo of that woman's voice. She was so used to hearing such words directed at her. She'd been hearing them since she first became a pirate. She heard them so much she had started to believe them, even though what was said about her wasn't true.

"Not only that, but she doesn't even have the courtesy to protect her toy while she uses him. It's obvious that many people loathe the idea of a miko and a hanyou together. I'm surprised he isn't dead already." The woman paused, took a breath and laughed. "Come on Ouji-kun. You know as well as I that there have been attempts on his life within these city limits because of that girl. Everyone knows that Jinenji didn't have to make those arrests for nothing, you know," the old woman said, referring to the only other hanyou in the city, a rather large man with a passion for gardening and doing what is right. He was the head of law enforcement in the city, which was very rarely needed, as well as a childhood friend of Inuyasha's.

Kagome gasped, putting her hand over her mouth and leaning against the wall. She had heard that group of people in the city had attempted to murder someone else, but she hadn't known it was Inuyasha they were after. And of course she didn't even fathom that it would be because of her.

She could feel the tears spilling out of her eyes.

How could she have been so blind?

* * *

Kagome's eyes began to flutter back to reality as the sunlight of a new day gently awakened her. She looked around at the window, the sheer white curtains doing nothing to hold back the light and the warmth tunneling it's way in.

As her awareness crawled back to her she heard voices outside, one belonging to her mother and one deep smooth calm one. She sat up, pushing her hair from her face and looking over her shoulder to find three other beds behind her. In said beds lay Kikyo, Kaede, and Izayoi.

Next to Izayoi's bed, something that had been resting with its head next to hers and a red blanket over it stirred. When it settled back into what it must have thought was a more comfortable position, she got up from her bed, wobbling quite a bit, and walked over. The thing under the red blanket was definitely not human, since the hair covering its head was brilliant silver and most of it woven into a long messy braid. Kagome didn't even have to look at the dog-ears to know that Inuyasha had fallen asleep watching over his mother.

She lightly stepped over to him and peered over his shoulder. She had only ever seen him sleep once before, when they had run into each other in a port on the Chinese coast line, and efficiently got tangled up in a web of treasure hunting antics that ended in an underground cave in the middle of India. But that is a story for another time.

Kagome kneeled down in front of Inuyasha, watching him sleep. His face was calm, his skin tanned from being in the sun, and his black eyelashes were thick and naturally curled upward. That was one thing she just could not get. Inuyasha's hair was naturally silver. Even the hair on his arms and legs was silver. But somehow, all the hair on his face was black. His eyebrows, his eyelashes, and when he didn't shave, (which he never forgot to do unless he didn't have the time) the thin shadow of hair he grew on his chin, jaw line, and upper lip was also black. She shrugged, trailing one of her fingers down his smooth skin.

"How odd…"

"Yeah, well you're not too hot yourself."

Kagome jumped at hearing the hanyou's voice; her eyes were like saucers as she stared at him in disbelief.

He grinned, and peeked at her through one open eye with amusement. "I never knew I was such a great actor," he laughed as he sat up and stretched his arms over his head, the red blanket falling off of him.

Kagome just sat on her knees, staring at him.

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and his chin in his hand, staring at her in amusement. "I never knew a person could stare at another person for so long Kagome. You must be really attracted to me or something."

"Oh shut your hole Inuyasha," Kagome whispered, mindful of the three sleeping women in the room.

"That's not a nice thing to say, I think maybe you should be a bit nicer if you truly are interested in a person. Might give the wrong idea if you're not," he whispered back, a little scorn in his voice. Kagome looked down to the ground, shame and nervousness written all over her face. She knew exactly what Inuyasha was driving at, not so willingly remembering the painful memory of that night three years ago.

Inuyasha looked to his mother, his expression softening as he ran his hand over the top of her head. He sighed, then stood, offering a hand to help Kagome stand. As she took it he said "Come on, I'm sure Sesshomaru wants to talk to you. He's been arguing with your mother about how soon anybody would be in to see the four of you."

Kagome stared at his hand holding hers, relishing the feeling. "If she's not letting anybody in, then how…?"

He walked ahead of her, leading her quietly by the hand towards the door. "I'm not the kind of guy to stare gift horse in the mouth. Your mom was distracted, I slipped in. Simple."

"You've got an odd obsession with breaking the rules Inuyasha."

He stopped at the door, turned around, and looked at her with one dark eyebrow arched.

"Um… can you say pirate?"

"Yeah…" Kagome said her voice a little airy. She was looking at her hand in his once more.

He looked down at it too, then dropped hers so he could open the door for her. "Come on."

She walked past him slowly, not looking up from the floor.

"Yeah…"

* * *

Inuyasha sat on the edge of the wall on the bridge, staring into the water reflecting the light of the torches. He had been waiting for hours for Kagome to get here, telling himself that something really important had happened, that maybe she had a really good excuse for not being here sooner. But somewhere, in the back of his mind, he knew it wasn't true.

The bridge merchants had already packed up and left to be with their families, and the people who enjoyed the nightlife had began to stir. They were crossing the bridge in groups, trying to make their way to bars and pubs, wanting nothing more than to drink hearty and live this night as if it were their last.

He ignored them, watching the water flow in the underground river. He didn't need to watch them; he could see their reflections gliding past his own. It was then that he saw one figure stop, and climb onto the wall to sit next to him. He knew by the smell that it was one of the new additions to the Court, Captain of the Kenkoubi, Miroku. But nonetheless, he ignored him too.

"So," the newly turned seventeen-year-old spoke, pulling on his rat-tail. "Just sitting here on the bridge, are we?"

He stayed silent, but at least looked at him to show he had heard him.

"For a person who sticks out as much as you do, you are pretty hard to find. How do you manage that?" Miroku questioned.

Inuyasha tilted his head back, his eyes closed and his Adam's apple creating a bend in his neck. His half-lidded eyes shifted from the dark cave ceiling to the deep violet eyes of the Captain to his right.

"Why were you looking for me?"

"Ah, smart one. I did come here with an ulterior motive. It was Lady Kagome, who sent me down here with my mission," Miroku said, looking away with a smirk on his face as he spoke.

Inuyasha tried hard not to show his emotion, effectively placing a look worthy of Sesshomaru on his face. But once again, his eyes were his downfall. When Miroku turned back around and looked into his eyes, he knew that he could see right through him as if he were a sheet of glass.

"Well?" he asked after Miroku was silent for much too long. "What'd she say?"

The dark haired teen sighed, and leaned forward to put his elbows on his knees. "She requested that I ask you to forgive her for standing you up the way she did. She also said that by the time I found you, that she'd be waiting for you under the sky." Miroku scratched his head, and began to speak in confusion. "I'm curious, what exactly did she mean by under—Inuyasha?"

He had turned back to his left but there was no one there. It was as if Inuyasha hadn't even been there in the first place.

Miroku smiled, and looked up to one of the many holes in the ceiling that let the light from the stars and the moon in.

"Somewhere… under the sky…"

* * *

The first bizarre thing Kagome noticed was Sango, who was sleeping peacefully in Miroku's lap. Wait, let's just repeat that so it sinks in.

**Sango was sleeping in Miroku's lap. **

…

"What in the name of all that is sacred…?" Kagome whispered, staring in disbelief.

Inuyasha cracked a smile, then leaned over to her and whispered, "They've been that way ever since we got the four of you here. Nobody's really had time to ask 'cause we were all worried shitless. But you can bet your ass that I'm gonna pry the details out of him when he wakes up."

Kagome giggled, then abruptly stopped as she laid her eyes on bizarro thing number two.

Kouga was sleeping upside down in a wooden chair, looking very uncomfortable with his arms hanging off the sides and his legs dangling off the back. She could only wonder what possessed him to fall asleep that way. That is, until she saw Ayame sulking in a corner and growling fiercely. Then it didn't take long to figure out that she was the one who put him there.

But the most bizarre thing there was definitely the sight of a frustrated Sesshomaru full out arguing with her own sweet, kind-hearted, wouldn't-hurt-a-fly mother. Now that was a sight to behold.

Ayame was the first to notice Kagome walk in, and shouted her name as she ran to envelop the girl in her arms.

"Oh god Kagome-chan you had us all so worried!" she exclaimed. When she let the girl go she bonked her lightly on the head. "How the hell could you do that to us!?"

"Ow! Well it's not like I purposely blacked out for a few hours!"

"A few hours?" Inuyasha said, one eyebrow arched. "Lady, you've been out for six months."

"NANDE!?" Kagome shrieked loud enough to wake Kouga Sango and Miroku.

Inuyasha, Ayame, Kouga, and even Sesshomaru cringed at her loudness.

Kyoko nervously smiled at her daughter, patting her on the back to calm her down. "Don't worry Dear, Inuyasha-kun was only pulling your leg. You've only been unconscious for a day."

Kagome visibly relaxed, then apologized to all the youkai in the room for her unnecessary screaming, and bopped Inuyasha on the back of his head for playing that little trick.

"You're so odd, Kagome…" Sango spoke up. "You just awoke from blacking out, and you're calm, cool, collected…"

"Which just ain't like you 'cause the Kagome we know would freak out if something like this happened to one of us," Ayame blurted out, finishing up Sango's thought for her.

Kyoko and Kagome exchanged glances, "Don't worry yourself. Story for another time. So, what'd I miss?"

"Who told you that you 'missed' anything?" Sesshomaru said, looking in Kagome's direction for the fist time since she entered.

"Midoriko."

Everyone turned around to see tall pale Kikyo with her dark hair lying straight around her body. She wore a simple white loose kimono that was loosely tied, adding a little more cleavage than she was probably aware of.

"I saw Midoriko when I blacked out. She told me that when I awoke, everyone would hear the message she'd been sending me through my dreams. And that now everyone will be searching for some sort of King…"

"The Pirate King," Kagome whispered, her eyes widening.

"Come Kagome, come. We have much to discuss in our next meeting." Sesshomaru said as he motioned for her to follow everyone outside.

"Now just hold on a second, Kagome has barely had enough t—Oh Kagome don't give me that look!" Kyoko argued, looking at her daughter.

"Mama, I know you love me and everything, but I stopped being a little girl a looong time ago. I've got a few things I have to take care of, and I promise you that I will be careful, okay?"

The woman solemnly nodded, but persistently opened her mouth to protest once more by saying "Okay, I'll back down, but only on the condition that someone carry you to the meeting house. It is on the other side of the city, and you are still not close enough to recovery to walk."

"Oh, I'll do it!" Kouga said, walking forward with his hand raised.

Kyoko smiled at the man and opened her mouth to say yes, but then she saw the horrified look on her daughter's face, and the two other female captains silently screaming and waving their hands in a negative way.

"I'm sorry, but you run a little fast Kouga, maybe someone else… Sessh—I mean Mi—Inuyasha!" she blurted, confused at all the different hand signals people were giving her, trying to persuade her to pick a certain person. When she finally spoke Inuyasha's name, she looked quickly to her daughter, whose expression had slightly relaxed. She looked to the hanyou in question, to find him in a similar expression situation. So, she ignored the tension in the air coming from the other people in the room and smiled happily.

"Inuyasha, if you'd be a dear and carry Kagome-chan across the city, I'd highly appreciate it."

Everyone looked to Inuyasha and Kagome, afraid of what might happen. As far as _they_ knew, Inuyasha and Kagome hated each other just as much as they always did…

The hanyou shrugged.

"Sure."

He took a few long strides over to said miko and bent down in front of her. She took the opportunity to climb onto his back. When she was settled, he turned back to the other speechless people in the room.

"I'm gonna take Kagome and go on ahead. Take your time, I'll fill her in on all the new stuff."

With that he turned back around and walked to a window, then climbed out of it, with a yelp from Kagome at the sudden pull of gravity and a playful laugh from Inuyasha.

"Now, Kikyo. Let's get you back to bed, shall we?" Kyoko said, ushering her other daughter back into the other room.

The five of them stood in silence, staring at the window in disbelief. Surprisingly and in the most uncharacteristic way, Sesshomaru broke the silence.

"What the fuck just happened?"

Everyone in the room could only stand agape at bizarro thing number five. Sesshomaru being utterly confused and out of the loop.

* * *

Kagome sat with her chin on her knees, holding her legs close. She breathed in the salty air blowing in her face from the sea. The city was a beautiful place, but her favorite part of being home was to be outside in the open air, and especially at night. She sighed, thinking of the hard decision she had made, and the even harder thing she was about to go through. The only thing that could make her feel better about it, is that he would come out of this a lot better off then when the two of them entered. Or, so she hoped.

The young miko could only wonder if Miroku could find Inuyasha in time. She had been waiting here for quite a while. She was probably only going to wait for a five more min—

"Boo!"

"YAAARH!" Kagome screamed and fell over; sprawling across the large moss covered area in the tree that she was sitting in. She and Inuyasha had found this place about a year ago, and aptly named it "our place under the sky".

She heard laughing, then looked up to see Inuyasha swinging upside down from a tree, using his upper arm strength and his legs to keep himself balanced on the underside of the branch. His tan skin looked a bit darker in the night, but his hair practically shined in the moonlight. His eyes were aglow, still that same beautiful gold, and for some reason his shirt hung open, revealing how much he had grown since they had first met. Even at a mere sixteen, Inuyasha was a fine example of the male gender.

"Kami, that never gets old! I swear, I would do that for the rest of my life just to see you jump and scream like that!" Inuyasha laughed, letting go of the branch and flipping over to land squatting, but on his feet.

Kagome pushed her self back up to a sitting position and watched him as he walked over to her, still bent over due to the low branches around them. He then flopped over onto his back and put his hands behind his head, his shirt still wide open to show off his newly toned muscles. It was as if he was trying to show off for her.

"Don't keep scaring me that way. It's annoying."

"Keh, sumimasen" he replied, waving her off a little. "So… what kept you?"

She turned her head to look at him, her black hair falling around her shoulders in wavy curls. "I… Something came up…" she lied. He looked at her, shrugging his shoulders to signal her to continue. "I'd rather not talk about it…"

"Ah, okay. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

She nodded, looking back to her knees. She desperately wanted to avoid what was coming. She wanted to just sit here, suspended in time with him by her side, but it was not going to happen. Sometimes things just do not have happy endings.

"Wow… look Kagome," she heard him say, then she looked around her.

"I don't see anything."

"No, you have to… wait… just… ugh!" he said, pulling her shirt so that she fell backwards and ended up laying on her back next to him.

She gasped at the sight. So many stars were in the sky, more stars than she had ever seen. Sure, she was a pirate and she had seen her share of starry nights. But she always had something to do, and was too busy to really take the time to admire them. Most of her progress as far as treasure hunting and other such pirate activities was made at night therefore she really just never had the time.

"I don't know if you've ever noticed that there are so many stars visible around the island. Wanted to show it to you 'cause… well… you just seem like the kind of person who would… ya know… appreciate pretty stuff like that…" He said, keeping his eyes focused on the sky and a light blush on his cheeks.

She smiled at him, losing herself in the moment and grabbing his hand. He turned towards her at the contact and they locked eyes for a moment, transfixed by one another.

"Inuyasha… You are such a beautiful person," Kagome whispered.

The boy laughed and sat up, still holding her hand. "Wow, I knew I looked good Kagome, but I've never heard of a boy being called beautiful before. Well… Except Sesshomaru…"

"No, no! I mean on the inside. You are one of the greatest people I've ever met in my life. Even if you don't like to show it much, you've got a side to you that so wonderful I can't even describe it for lack of words."

He looked at her with his expressive eyes telling her how much he appreciated her saying that about him, even though he did not use words to say it, she knew he meant it. "Well, you're a great person too Kags. Definitely better than I'll ever be. Sometimes I don't even get why you like being a pirate so much. You're too… nice."

Kagome propped herself up on her elbows and arched an eyebrow at him. "Nice? You think I'm too nice to be a captain? Is that what I'm hearing from you?"

He smirked and shrugged. "Yeah, pretty much."

"Takahashi Inuyasha, you don't even know me," she spoke the truth. They did barely know each other, due to the lack of time to get to know each other. The deepest conversation they'd really ever had was on things they could both relate to, a.k.a. pirating. Not only that, but it happened while they were stuck in a cave and facing death.

"It may be true that we don't know each other inside out," he said, leaning in to challenge her. "But I know you well enough to know that you, Miss, are much too nice to be a pirate captain, let alone one who is notoriously know for killing a captain even more well known than herself and taking his place on his ship."

"Well, shows what you know. That is now rightfully my ship, and it's not my fault he's dead. I, sir, am no stupid girl. And you'd have to be some kind of stupid to let a man, no matter how powerful, treat you the way he treated me. Besides, I have no problem with killing any man that either is attacking me, or just plain in my way," she replied with a little playful attitude in her voice.

"That true, huh?" he managed to say between laughs.

"Mm-hmm!" she hummed, nodding.

"Well," Inuyasha spoke slyly, crawling over her and reaching his hand out to pin her down before she could figure out what was happening. He took both of her small wrists into one of his hands and used the other to poke her in the ribs. "We'll just have to test that theory now won't we?"

"Oh? And just ho—AH!" she squealed as Inuyasha began to tickle her. "Ah haha! Stop! That's—heh hee—No fair!"

"Like I care," he said, reaching over to her left side to tickle her some more. "This can all stop if you do me just one little favor."

She just continued to laugh, looking up at him through half closed and angry eyes.

"Just say the words," he stopped tickling her and leaned forward to whisper in her ear. "Captain Inuyasha is and will always be strong enough to overpower me."

"You have to be one really conceited person to honestly think that I'm going to—OKAY! I'LL SAY IT!" she screamed with a giggle as he started to tickle her again. "Captain Inuyasha is and will always be strong enough to overpower me. I hope you're happy."

"Oh, exceedingly."

"Good. You look so much better when you smile," she said warmly.

He looked at her silently, then grinned a wide toothy smile that caused him to close his eyes. She giggled.

He watched her laugh with warm eyes then called her name. When he had her attention, he asked a question that completely caught her off guard.

"Can I kiss you?"

"N-Nani?"

"Can I kiss you? If you don't want to, I won't force—Mm!" he managed to get out before Kagome pulled him down to have his lips press onto hers. He was shocked at first, but immediately responded by kissing her back, leaning into it and intertwining his fingers with hers. The kiss was innocent, as far as kisses go, but the feelings behind it were strong none the less.

It was Kagome who broke the kiss, pushing Inuyasha off of her with tears streaming down her face. "I'm sorry, I just can't do this…"

The look on his face was of concern, confusion, and hurt. He reached out to try and comfort her but she pulled back.

"What's wrong? Did I do something?"

She shook her head. "I can't do this Inuyasha. I can't do this thing anymore."

"What? What thing?"

"This thing. This thing that we do! I just… I just can't be… around you anymore!"

His face stayed in an expression that conveyed confusion, but his eyes openly displayed a pain that was starting to eat away at him.

"I… I don't understand. Why? What did I do? Kagome I swear, if I did something just tell me! I-I'll fix it! I'll make it better!"

Kagome's tears flowed non-stop from her eyes, and she looked as if looking at him was causing her unbearable pain. "I'm sorry, just stay away," she cried, starting to get to her feet.

Inuyasha mimicked her as best as he could, stooping under the branches. He grabbed her wrist and turned her back towards him. "Kagome, don't go. Just tell me what I did. Tell me how I can fix it!"

"You can't! Okay!? You can't fix it! Now let me go!"

"No! Tell me what I did!"

She cried even harder, then screamed at him while her arm glowed pink. "LET ME GO!!!"

Inuyasha yelped in pain as Kagome's miko powers singed the skin on his palm. Immediately he yanked his hand from her wrist and watched as she ran across the branch and jumped down to the one under it, preparing to climb down the tree.

Young Inuyasha fell to his knees and looked at the burned flesh on his hand. He could still hear her rapid footsteps and her rasping sobs. But they were slowly drifting farther and farther away, eventually he could hear nothing but the crashing waves upon the beach, the wind, and the animals who lived on the island.

"What… What did I do?"

* * *

Inuyasha leaped from one roof over to the meeting building, just barely being able to grab onto the ledge of the window, violently startling Kagome.

"Oops, heh, might have short changed that last one."

"Baka!" the miko whispered with a death grip on his shoulders.

Inuyasha merely laughed at her as he used one of his hands to support her weight and the other to hang on to the ledge.

"Hold on, this might lurch your stomach a bit," Inuyasha warned.

Kagome was about to question what he was talking about, but as she opened her mouth he used his feet to kick off the wall. He flipped three hundred and sixty degrees into the window, perfectly balancing on the balls of his feet on the ledge once he landed. He was right. Kagome's stomach was doing flip-flops.

Inuyasha, being used to doing aireal stunts like that had no problem though, and calmly walked over to the table and sat on it, allowing Kagome to grab a seat as well. She loosened her grip on him and poked him in the back.

"Well, are you gonna get up or am I gonna stare at the back of your head all day?"

He turned his head to look at her, a smirk on his face. "I dunno… I kinda like it here between your legs," he teased, squeezing both of her knees with his for finger and thumb.

Kagome rolled her eyes and pushed him off the table. Of course, he allowed himself to stumble forward before straightening up and turned back to her.

"So, you and me have got to talk."

"Don't bother, I already know everything that happened," she said, waving him off.

"Oh, I know that you know about this whole Pirate King business. Just wouldn't make since for Midoriko to make you black out and not fill you in on what she's causing you to say."

Kagome looked confused, so she voiced her thoughts to the hanyou. "So, if you know that I'm filled in on everything, why did you tell everybody you were gonna inform me about stuff?"

"Two reasons," he started, holding up one finger. "First, I needed to tell you that finding this Pirate King guy may be a bit harder than you think. We've only got one thing that distinguishes him from everyone else, and it's that he's a descendant of Midoriko's. And it's not like we've got a list of her living relatives…"

"And the second reason?" Kagome asked after he was silent for a while.

"Keh, not important."

"'Keh, not important' my ass! I wanna know."

He smirked, then walked over to the miko, placing each of his hands on either side of her on the tabletop. "I'm tellin' you Kagome, you don't want to know."

"And I'm telling you that I do want to know, and if you don't tell me I'll—Mm!?" she was interrupted by Inuyasha roughly smashing his lips onto hers. He kissed her with an open mouth, tracing her lips with his tongue, just begging for entrance.

Kagome was overwhelmed. So quickly did the thoughts she only just had vanish from her mind as the sensation of Inuyasha kissing her completely took over. The feelings he gave her with just that kiss alone left her wanting more, craving his touch, his taste, and his smell. She opened her mouth, gladly welcoming his tongue into her mouth and meeting him half way with her own. The way he tasted definitely topped the taste she remembered from a few years prior, his tongue soft and wet while trying to wrestle with her own. It was pure heaven.

Inuyasha pushed her back onto the table, leaning forward to press his body on hers. Their mouths never parted as he let his hands roam over her body causing her to moan into his mouth.

Her hands weren't able to keep idle either and they traveled from his waist up his front to his neck. From there they found their way to his ears which she tenderly rubbed. Inuyasha broke the kiss and groaned. "Mmm, Kagome…!"

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Kagome whispered, yanking her hands back immediately.

"Nn-mmm!" he moaned, shaking his head no. "Do it again, it feels good."

Kagome breathed hard as she looked into his lustful eyes, reaching her hands up to his ears again. She watched as he closed his eyes and put an expression on his face that described exactly how much he liked her ministrations. Just watching the look of ecstasy on his face started a flame to pool between her legs.

"Kiss me," she whispered. He opened his eyes to look at her. "Please?"

The hanyou obliged her, dipping his head low to claim her lips once again. Their tongues danced together, darting from one mouth to the other, until…

"What the hell do you two horny people think your doing on our table?"

Inuyasha's head snapped up to find his older brother standing in the middle of the tall doorway.

"Nothing happened" he lied, pushing himself off Kagome and offering her his hand to pull her up.

Sesshomaru _almost_ arched an eyebrow. _Almost_. "If you say so."

Inuyasha nodded his head, then sat next to Kagome, who wasn't able to pull her eyes away from her hands. He couldn't help but notice how red her face was.

"What'd you come here for?"

"To tell you that Izayoi has awakened—But," he spoke a bit louder, catching the attention of Inuyasha who was already prepared to leap from the window. "Before you spring up into action she asked me to tell you that if you come back and skip out on your duties, she'll be waiting for you with a weapon at hand."

"Yeah, yeah" he said, walking over to the table to sit down next to Kagome once again. "Anything else?"

"Yes, Kaede is also awake. She requested that I have a conversation with Lady Kagome right away, concerning what she saw while she was blacked out."

"I was wondering when you'd guys ask me about that…" the miko spoke up after she was finally over her embarrassment. "I knew somebody would have to. Midoriko told me a few things that she said would only make sense once somebody asked me about it. I remember asking her what would happen if nobody asked me, and she just said that somebody would."

"Wait… you actually had a conversation with the Pirate Queen herself?" Inuyasha asked, one eyebrow arched. She nodded her head slowly, looking from brother to brother.

"Well, we should talk about that right now. I have a few things about this prophecy that I'd like to get clarified," Sesshomaru said, pulling up a chair across from the two sitting on the table.

"First, does the prophecy ever reveal the name of the Pirate King?"

Kagome looked to the ceiling in thought. "No."

"Damn…" Inuyasha cursed under his breath.

"How will we know just who this Pirate King is? Or if he even exists?"

"Well," she said with a pause. "I said his name wouldn't be revealed. But I never said we wouldn't know who he is."

"How? Tell us how," the youkai persisted.

"It isn't over. The prophecy isn't finished. There will be more when the time is right."

"When is that?" Inuyasha blurted out, earning an annoyed glance from his older brother. He stuck his tongue out at him.

"Soon. Soon I'm sure. Like within the next two days."

"Do you know how much more of it is left?" Sesshomaru asked, making a note on a piece of paper he pulled from his pocket with a quelled pen.

"Of the prophecy? Who knows? It couldn't be too much longer though. All that's left is to tell us who he is and what we need to do to aid him."

"Do you know what the rest of it is?"

"No. If I knew, why wouldn't Midoriko just say it through us while we were all blacked out."

"That is a good question… Why?" Inuyasha mumbled while rubbing his chin.

"Why what Inuyasha?" Sesshomaru inquired. He could sense when his brother was actually using his unique mind, and when he did it always seemed to work out. Over the years, the older inu had learned to simply trust in the wonder that was his brother's intellect.

"Why would she split the prophecy in two? Why not just give it to us a whole? Is there some kind of reason why she gave us so much time between revelations?" he asked, drilling her with question after question.

Kagome knitted her eyebrows together and closed her eyes, thinking back to what Midoriko said.

"It needs time. He needs time."

"Who?"

"The… The…" she struggled for the words, until she looked as if she had come to a decision. "Our King. He needs time to find what he's looking for before he'll ever be ready to take on the responsibility the Kaizoku are trying to place on his shoulders."

"And he will be able to do so in within the next couple days?"

"Midoriko believes so."

"Is this Naraku person for sure our enemy and the only threat to us?" Sesshomaru asked.

"Yes… and no. He is what we're facing, but he is not alone. He has many on his side."

"Do you know if there is any guarantee that this Pirate King will really be able to help us the way we hope?" asked Sesshomaru, his doubts clearly showing through his question.

"No, I don't know. Neither did Midoriko. She just knows that he has the power to, if he so chooses," Kagome spoke as if she were unsure of her words up until they left her mouth. Every once in a while a look of enlightenment would rise upon her face, as if she was only just understanding things for the first time.

"What do you mean if he so chooses? You don't know if he will assist us or not?" Sesshomaru asked with one eyebrow slightly arched in a skeptical way.

Kagome shook her head. "It's his decision to make. His fate isn't sealed. He is a pirate after all. You of all people should know that we tend to shape our own destinies."

Sesshomaru pinched the bridge of his nose with his forefinger and thumb in thought. He quietly nodded his head and rose from his chair. "That's all I can think of to ask at this moment. I'd like to see what everyone else has to ask you first. Oh, and you two might want to do something about masking your scents. It's a dead give away for Ayame and Kouga what you were up to."

Kagome nodded her head silently, getting over her embarrassment and accepting that Sesshomaru had seen her doing naughty things. After all she is a pirate. It's not like modesty really counts for anything in their world.

* * *

Kagome had successfully finished the incantation for masking their scents just a moment before Ayame stepped into the room, leading in the other ookami in by the ear. To be honest, it looked rather funny.

"What did he do now?" Kagome asked her friend as she pushed said youkai into his normal seat.

"Just being an ass again," she answered back with a growl.

"Damn it Ayame! You have no right to put your hands on me! If you weren't a female I'd—!"

"You'd what?" she said, angrily getting into his face with her fangs bared. "If I weren't a female you'd what Kouga? Because honestly, I'm a lot tougher than you give me credit for! You wanna fight? Just say the word and we can take this argument outside kusottare!" she barked violently, grabbing the front of his shirt to pull him up out of his chair a little.

Kouga looked beyond pissed at the redhead and his muscles were twitching in his forearm. You could ever see the vein in his wrist. Growling at her in his deep low voice, he hissed at her. "_Kuttabachimae!_"

Ayame growled and yelled when she sent her balled fist into the side of Kouga's head, earning a loud sound of bone meeting bone, namely her knuckles and his jaw.

The force of her punch forced Kouga back, his chair falling over but he kept his balance. Without thinking, he launched himself at the woman and took hold of her thin neck with one of his rather large hands. He picked her up and slammed her onto the table, causing it to break in half. Then he held her gasping for breath, his claws starting to dig into her flesh, drawing blood.

All of this happened so quickly Inuyasha and Kagome just barely had the time to move before wood-chips went flying everywhere from the table breaking. The hanyou was about to rush forward to pull Kouga from Ayame, but Kagome was quicker, reciting a spell to pull the two apart and place them in their own separate barriers floating just barely off the ground.

The moment Ayame was pulled from Kouga she gasped and put her hands to her throat. Once she made contact she reeled back in pain. Just touching her neck hurt now, and though she couldn't see it, bruises dark brown and black had already formed with redness from her blood mixed in. Her breaths were raspy and it was easy to see that her windpipe had been thoroughly crushed, making it extremely difficult to breathe.

Kouga was sporting a bruise on the left side of his face, but nothing as severe as Ayame. He watched her gag and gasp for breath and couldn't help but feel guilt for what he had done.

"Let her go Kagome," Inuyasha said as he walked over to Ayame. She complied, looking at her friend in concern. When she was released she fell towards the floor but Inuyasha caught her and carried her to the miko.

Kagome took a look at the ookami's neck before coming to a decision. "Just sit her down on a chair and bring me some water and a cloth. Don't care where you get it, just get it and hurry," she said, pulling out one of the larger chairs for her to sit in.

Inuyasha sat the youkai down with sympathy in his eyes. He had received plenty of injuries in his time. Eight of them neck related and as severe as Ayame's. He turned and started for the door, throwing Kouga a nasty look.

"And make sure the cloth is big enough to cover her entire neck!" Kagome called after him. She brushed Ayame's hair out of her face with her fingers as the woman silently fell into a coma-like sleep. She took the opportunity of silence to look at the older male ookami with scorn.

"What the hell is your problem! Ayame did _not_ deserve that!"

Kouga looked at her defensively. "She was asking for it! She kept taunting me and taunting me! And when she hit me, I lost it!" he shouted. His voice cracked when he got to the word lost.

Kouga doubled over, squatting in his bubble-shaped barrier. "Why does she have to be here all the time? I left because we were together, so we could be apart! But she's still _here_!" he spoke, whispering the last sentence.

Kagome looked at him in surprise. Even though Kouga had been trying to court her for as long as she knew him, never once had she seen his emotional side. It was just a little… odd.

"Well, if it helps any, which quite frankly I don't care if it does, she isn't here for you. She's here because she loves to be what she is. She loves being a pirate, and she loves it here. It doesn't revolve around you."

"I know that," he said with a little edge in his voice. "She told me. When we met up again in the Goten. She specifically told me that she was not here for me. And… I was disappointed."

Kagome snapped her head in his direction. "Say what?"

"N-Never mind! It's not important!" he replied. He wiped his mouth on his sleeve with a slight blush on his face. Apparently, he had let a little too much slip out.

"No no no, you said something! Tell me!" she said, approaching the barrier.

"No," he responded in a flat tone.

"If you don't, I'll tell Ayame what I _think_ you just said. And let me tell you, I have one hell of an imagination. I could come up with just about anything to tell her."

He looked at her through the corner of his eye. "You wouldn't dare."

She arched her eyebrow. "Try me."

"Okay fine," he gave in after a minute of silence. "I said I was disappointed."

"Why?"

"I… I don't know! It just bothers me! Ayame not liking me is like birds learning to swim and fish learning to fly! It just doesn't _feel_ right, ya know?"

"Feel right? Well, why wouldn't it feel right?" Kagome asked confused. "It's not like you and Ayame have ever liked each other."

"Who ever told you that?" Kouga asked with his arms crossed. "Ayame and I used to be friend. Really good friends."

Kagome looked to Ayame's unconscious body in confusion. "Friends? Let me guess, that all fell apart and died after your parents told you that you were betrothed to each other, right?"

"Something like that," he said while looking away.

"Hm. You know it's your fault right? If you hadn't acted like she was a disease that would make your limbs fall off than she wouldn't dislike you so much. Treat her like she's worth something, and maybe you guys will be friends again. That simple. Now, where the hell is Inuy—?"

"Got it!" Inuyasha exclaimed as he busted through the door. He tossed the cloth and a gourd of water to Kagome.

"Thanks," she said as she caught it. She lay the cloth down on a part of the table that wasn't slanted too much and poured the water over it. After the water had run down and soaked the cloth, Kagome picked it up and wrapped it around the female ookami's neck. The miko then placed both of her hands on either side of her neck.

"Sumimasen, Ayame-chan," Kagome whispered as she squeezed her hands around the ookami's neck with a bright pink glow coming from it. Ayame howled in pain as her eyes shot open, but suddenly her pain was gone and she started to breathe regularly. Kagome peeled the cloth from her neck, revealing reddened skin, but no cuts or bruises.

"Wow, Lady Kagome you have remarkable skills," Miroku commented as he sat in a chair.

"Wh—Huh? Miroku, when did you get here?" Kagome asked, looking from him to Sango and to Sesshomaru who jut stepped through the door.

"We came in with Inuyasha, a bit slow on the uptake there, hm?"

"Oh hush…. Ayame are you okay?" Kagome said, placing a hand on her friend's should.

"I'm fine," she responded, her voice hoarse. "Arigato Kagome-chan."

"Is everyone fine, or will we have to postpone this little get together even farther back than we already have?" Sesshomaru asked while grabbing one of the shorter bookshelves to place under the table to prop it up where it had cracked in two.

"I'm not gonna get in the way of a Goten meeting," Ayame said with her arms crossed.

Everyone but the red head looked to Kouga, who looked uncomfortable. "Y-Yeah, whatever. Just let me down."

Kagome nodded and removed the barrier from around Kouga. He dropped from the air to his feet and took up the chair farthest from Ayame. Sesshomaru sat in his normal place at the head of the table, putting him near Ayame. Inuyasha sat in his usual place at the opposite end as his brother, putting him next to Kouga. Kagome sat two seats away from Inuyasha on the same side as Kouga and across from Sango who was sitting next to Miroku. (A/N: Just so you know, it's a large table big enough to seat about twelve people, five on each of it's long sides and one on the remaining two sides.)

Kagome closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. "Okay, I'm not going to answer any questions that you guys just blurt out all at once. Please, don't yell and don't bombard me with question after question. Miroku, you start."

"Hai, Lady Kagome," the monk agreed to her terms. He placed his hand to his chin in thought and eyed the miko from across the table. "Sesshomaru told us when he came to get us that whom ever this Pirate King is, is of Midoriko's bloodline, correct?"

"Hai. That's right."

"So, wouldn't that make him a person with high spiritual power, and of the Goten no Kaizoku?"

"Not necessarily. Somewhere along the line, his blood could have mixed with any number of people, especially in the Kaizoku lifestyle. He could be as spiritual as Midoriko herself, or as demonic as Sesshomaru here, or anywhere in between for that matter."

"Ah, well there goes that theory…" he mumbled.

"Is there anything other than his relation to Midoriko that we know about him for sure right now?" Sango asked.

Kagome shook her head. "The only other thing I can think of is that he is connected to us. He most likely has blood oath placed on him, and has had some kind of miko history in his family. But that really doesn't narrow it down. But that's all that we've got to go on so far."

"Well fuck!" Ayame said quietly. "Then there isn't anything to _do_ right now. We're stuck."

"Until the next part of the prophecy is revealed," Kagome finished.

"Keh, then let's get ready." Inuyasha said. "Not that hard to figure out. Let's prepare. Just cause we don't know who he is right now doesn't mean we can't start getting ready to get out of here and start the fight. Let's start getting our ships together and preparing our crews. We've got a lot ahead of us y'know," he finished his mini-speech and stood. He walked over to the bookshelf nearest the window and grabbed a few scrolls of paper along with something to right with.

"What are you doing?" Sesshomaru asked as his brother sat back down."

"Making a list of things we all need to have done by the end of the day. Okay, who wants to start?" He asked, looking around the table.

Kagome sighed. "This is going to be a long day…"

* * *

Kagome Sango and Ayame all walked across the bridge, looking for one particular vender by the name of Ryu, who only sold specialty items made upon request. It was about sunset and this was their last chore of the day, which they thought was going to take forever. As they walked, Kagome and Ayame drilled Sango with questions on her new found relationship with Miroku.

"Awww, you're so lucky Sango! You've found love!" Kagome commented, pretending to be cupid and shoot her with a love arrow.

"Heh, I guess, Lady Cupid. Thanks."

"Bleh, men. I'm sick of them. I think I'm gonna start courting women instead."

"Oh please, Ayame you've had one bad experience. You can't give up on them because of that!" Sango argued.

"Correction, I've had one bad man in my life, not just an experience, but the whole bad male drama. I think that's enough to turn anybody away from 'em."

"You can't be serious. Ayame, do you really think that a woman would be able to satisfy _you_ of all people?" Kagome asked skeptically.

"What are you trying to say?"

Kagome sighed and looked at her friend. "See, if I were you right now, and you were me, then you'd tell me something along the lines of, 'Oh shut up Kagome, you love dick too much to give up on men!' So why don't you take a bit of your own advice and give them another chance?"

"Uh, no. And I am not really that obscene am I?"

Sango and Kagome exchanged glances. "Uh, yes. You are!"

"Seriously, you've got the worse potty mouth on a woman I've ever heard."

"Yeah, you can almost compete with Inuyasha, who's favorite words start with F, S, D, and B," Sango said, counting off the letters on her fingers.

All three of them laughed as they reached the middle of the bridge and stopped walking.

"Okay, Kagome has a point. I'm too in love with male body to give up on men. But I'm still going to give up on them emotionally and mentally!" the youkai vowed.

"Oh give it a rest! Ayame, there's something my sister once told me that I think you need to hear," Kagome said, draping her arm over her shoulder. "Men, are like chocolate. They're always fun while you have them, but you always regret the few extra pounds they pack on you later."

"Wow… that has to be the single most idiotic thing I've heard all day," Ayame said with a straight face.

"But ya know it's true!" Sango laughed as she hooked her arm onto Ayame's.

"Excuse me, Captains?" said a rather masculine voice behind them.

"Oh great, not another ma—Oh!" Ayame started before she turned around to see a rather tall black haired ookami youkai.

"Hi, I was told you three were looking for me? Name's Ryu. And you, lovely lady, must be Captain Ayame," he said as he grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips. Kagome and Sango exchanged glances again as the girl between them nodded at the male.

"I was told you were gorgeous, but it still didn't prepare me for the real thing," he said with a smile, showing off his pearly white fangs. "Let me be honest with you, your beauty completely blows me away."

The redhead cleared her throat, brushing the hair from her pigtails off her shoulder. "Well, it's nice to have somebody notice."

"It's a little hard not to." She giggled at that. "So, I have the special made items you requested from me yesterday. If you'd like, I could bring you down to my shop and we can do the business proportion down there?"

"Hmm," Ayame hummed, placing a finger to her lips while she thought it over. "That sounds lovely. Why don't you lead the way, Ryu."

"Yes, Captain," he replied with a sly smile.

"Oh, just call me Ayame," she smiled and followed him as he turned around. When his back was turned, she turned back to Kagome and Sango and mouthed a few choice phrases that described how positively hot this Ryu guy was and what she was going to do to him when they got to his shop, which she accented with a few pelvic thrusts.

Kagome and Sango could only bust up laughing when she turned back around to hook her arm onto his with her flirty smile.

"Oh my god she is so friggin' funny!" Kagome laughed, holding onto Sango's shoulder for support.

"I know! I know! I knew she'd never give up on men! The hypocrite!" Sango agreed, nearly choking she laughed so much.

"Well, let's just hope that she actually gets the chore we were sent out here to do done, since she's going all the way down to his shop," Kagome said as she wiped a tear from her eye with a smile.

"Yup. And I hope you find somebody to hang out with, 'cause now since we have so much time on our hands, I think I'll go see _my_ man," Sango said as she turned to walk back across the bridge.

"Nani? You'd leave me here? Manless!?" Kagome shouted as Sango got farther and farther away.

Sango did even bother to turn around as she waved. "Bye Kagome!"

"Oh crud. That just leaves me ass out doesn't it?" Kagome asked herself with her arms crossed. She watched as the last of the merchants began packing up for the day to go home. She waved to the ones she knew as she thought about what she was going to do for the last few hours of the day.

'Well, I could always go for drinks and pass out in a drunken stupor sometime tomorrow morning… But that's so boring to do alone, and Kikyo wouldn't want to do that with me. She's too much of a saint. Damn, I know a lot of people, but I don't really want to hang out with them. What am I gonna do!'

Suddenly a green leaf appeared before here, floating just in front of her eyes. She reached her hand out to touch it, and when she did it turned into a piece of folded paper.

She opened it up and red the long thin handwriting.

_What are you wearing?_

_-Inuyasha_

Kagome rolled her eyes and tucked the note into her belt loop. She turned around and headed for the cave entrance/exit. She knew exactly what she wanted to do that night.

* * *

**Oofie: "Ahahahah!!! Now you have to wait to find out what exactly Kagome wants to do!!!! MWAHAHAHAHA!"**

**Inuyasha: "Give it a rest Oofie. Nobody cares."**

**Kagome: raises her hand. "I do."**

**Inuyasha: "Why do you always have to go against what I say?"**

**Kagome: shrugs. "If it helps any, it's not like I'm trying to… What's wrong with Oofie?"**

**Inuyasha & Kagome watch Oofie as she sits at her computer, frozen with an angry/confused look on her face.**

**Inuyasha: "She looks constipated…"**

**Kagome: "Um… Oofie?"**

**Oofie: "I'm so lost… I know what I want to happen next, but I'm not sure if I should…"**

**Kagome: "Ask the readers Oofie. They know what they like, you want to please them. Ask their opinion."**

**Oofie: "Eh, I want to make my readers happy, but I want to make the story my own…"**

**Inuyasha: "JUST ASK THE DAMN READERS!!!"**

**Oofie sighs and folds her hands.**

**Oofie: "Okay, fine. HEY! YEAH, YOU! DON'T SCROLL PAST THIS, I NEED TO ASK YOU SOMETHING! … DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH THAT SCROLL BAR!"**

**Kagome: "Uh… I think you have their attention Oofie…"**

**Oofie: "Oh… um, hi! I was just wondering. I need help on a few topics. I'd like it if you could answer a few questions for me in your review, along with whatever else you were gonna comment on… So, yeah, here are my questions…"**

**Do you think Kouga and Ayame should end up falling for each other?**

**Are you okay with me killing off one or more of the characters?**

**Do you think a lemon would ruin this story?**

**Oofie: "Okay, that's it. I'd appreciate it if you answer these for me, could really help a lot."**

**Inuyasha: "Yeah, so it's time for replies to reviews now, right?"**

**Kagome: "Yup, yup!"**

**Oofie: "But since this is chapter 5, I'm only answering reviews from chapter 4… with like, one exception…"**

**Review Replies: **

_KagsYasha_ Heh, you're kinda supposed to be confused… it's how I wanted it. But I'm happy you're lovin' it! I hope some things have been cleared up a little though. Thankos muchos!

_Miko in Training_ Shhhhhh! Don't tell anybody! lol, it's a secret! Thanks for the praise; it helps build my ego! Eh, Kagome does play a part in the prophecy! Lol, She tells everyone what it is! But other than that, I can't say what or even if she's apart of it… You'll just have to wait and see. Good luck looking for your job, Hopefully you've found one by now, since it's been a while since your review… ' Anyway, thanks for reading!

_Pnkrockninja101_ Dude, thanks. I haven't really seen too many pirate fics here, so I was hopin' I could be all like revolutionary or something, ya know? Your review helps boosts my confidence/ego!! I hope you still like the plot, even thought it's moving really fast. There is a reason for it though! Keep reading please, and thankos muchos!

_MoonDemoness468_ Hey, thanks. That's cool of you to say. You too give me comments that boost my ego! Go Oofie's ego! ' Anyhow, I'm sorry I didn't update as soon as humanly possible. But I did update as soo as Oofie-ly possible. Does that count for anything? Eh, I hope it does. Thanks for reviewing and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

_LoVe23_ Thanks to ya for your awesome review! I'm glad you thought of it that way, when I was writing it, I kinda was running through my head like a movie. I was hoping it somebody out there would see it that way too, and it looks like you're that special reader with Oofie-vision! Kudos to you and your imagination!

_Inuyasha'sChic_ Well, there's nothing to say, really… If you read the chapter, you question is answered. There is more to the prophecy. …Yay? Heh heh

_Auroras-Flame_ Thanks, all your comments are helpful and made me happy, but most importantly, they boosted my ego like… a lot! I still can't figure out a better summary for this particular story, so I'm kinda stuck in that department. Thanks for the Japanese lesson, lol I took it to heart! I can't wait to read your story again, and thankos muchos for the review!

**Oofie: "Okay, that's it for reviews. Now it's time to go. We'll see you next chapter!"**

**Inuyasha & Kagome: "Bye!"**


	6. He Likes to Bite

**Oofie: "Okay, here we go in chapter six!"**

**Kagome: "Woo!"**

**Inuyasha: "Yeah… whatever…"**

**Oofie: "I've actually had a lot of time to work on this thing since I've been dead dog sick and have missed school. So I think this is the best that we're gonna get out of this chapter."**

**Inuyasha: "I think that's offensive."**

**Oofie: "Nani?"**

**Inuyasha: "What you just said! 'Dead dog sick'!"**

**Oofie: "Oh…well my bad! It's just something I say…"**

**Inuyasha: "Yeah well, think before you speak."**

**Kagome: "You mean like you do? And how is that offensive anyway?"**

**Inuyasha: "It sounds as if she's threatening a dog with some freakish dog disease!"**

**Oofie: "I'm not even gonna pay attention to their arguing… SO annoying, yeesh!"**

**Inuyasha & Kagome: bicker bicker squabble squabble**

**Oofie: "Okay, let's just get this thing over with. I'm not one for spoilers, but this chapter does get pretty XXX, so those of you with problems with that, when you see two characters getting all lovey dovey, then you better scroll until you hit one of those divider thingies. Other than that, I'd just like to tell you that I do not own Inuyasha or any other brilliant ideas from the mind of Takahashi Sensei. All though that would be cool, wouldn't it!?!? Here's the vocabulary!"**

**Oi – "Hey"**

**Yowamiso – coward, or weakling**

**He Likes To Bite**

Inuyasha sat at a table next to a wall in a rowdy bar with Rin, his brother, Jaken, and Shippo. Musicians had come to the bar and started to play, giving the atmosphere music. Many people were dancing, some already drunk even though the night was young.

Inuyasha Sesshomaru and Jaken all had large mugs of rum in front of them, none of which matched each other. Rin, who didn't quite fancy alcohol had cider, and Shippo, who wasn't old enough to drink by Inuyasha's standards, had a glass of apple juice. All five of them were having a merry little conversation, catching up on things and what not.

"Nee-chan you must have been freaking out! I couldn't imagine what it would be like to be captured like that!" Shippo said with a worried look on his face.

Rin simply smiled at the little boy and patted his head. "It wasn't _that_ scary. I knew that Sessh-kun would come get me, so I was fine."

"Aww, Sessh-kun to the rescue!" Inuyasha chuckled, taking a sip from his mug.

"Why don't you close your mouth before I close it for you, gutei," Sesshomaru said, balling his fist on the table.

"Ooh, I'm shaking in my boots!" the hanyou replied, rolling his eyes.

"You two fight too much. See, if I had a brother like you guys do, then we'd be the best of friends. See, I already have somebody like that, and we are good friends, right Inu-nii?" Shippo asked while looking at his 'Inu-nii' with his head tilted.

"Yup, that's right. Best of friends," Inuyasha grinned at the youngest youkai with his mug held out to him. Shippo raised his glass of apple juice and the two of them clinked their cups together before taking a sip.

Sesshomaru looked at his glass before drinking some and putting it down. "Be careful baby brother, you might make me jealous."

"Oh, does Sesshy-poo wanna toast to friendship between brothers too?" the hanyou teased.

"Once again, you prove yourself to be a complete baka."

"Hey take's one," he started, but stopped to lean back in his chair while something flew past him and lodged itself in the wall. "To know one big brother."

Inuyasha looked at the wall to find an arrow lodged into it. Wrapped around the arrow was a small piece of paper with a red string tied around its middle. He reached his hand out to pull the arrow out of the wall and untied the piece of paper so he could read the message on it.

The other four people at the table watched him with curiosity as he read. He folded up the paper and tucked it into his coat pocket with a grin worthy of the Cheshire cat.

"Hey, I've got something I've got to take care of. Will you keep Shippo tonight?" he asked as he stood and ruffled Shippo's hair.

"Sure, we'd love to have Shippo over, right Sessh-kun?" Rin said with a smile. Rin and Sesshomaru both shared a home, since Rin didn't like the idea of living alone. Jaken had his own small house on the other side of town.

Sesshomaru looked at his brother. "If Rin says so, then yes. I don't care either way."

"Great, I'll come pick you up in the morning, okay Shippo?"

"Yeah, yeah! You can go now Inu-nii!" Shippo said, pushing on his leg for him to start walking.

"Fine, since you don't want me here," he said. He rolled his eyes at the little fox and downed the last of his rum. "I'll see you guys later."

* * *

Kagome pulled all her hair up into a ponytail with a beaded scrunchy that went with the turquoise kimono she wore. It was short, barely making it past her hips and she had a pair of legging with her boots under it. In her ears she had large hoop earrings. She hoped to god that she looked pretty enough for her guest.

She looked around her cabin on her ship, making sure everything was neat. All her papers and books were in the bookshelf, her bed was made nicely, and the table she kept in the middle of the room had two cups and a jug of liquor on it.

She heard what she thought was a yell come from outside, and started to shake with nerves.

"Oh god, I'm too nervous…." Kagome spoke to herself. She rushed over to the table and poured herself a drink. She downed it even quicker than she poured it and hissed at the burning sensation in the back of her throat.

A knock at the door caused her to nearly jump out of her skin. As she scurried over to the door she smoothed her hands over her kimono to remove any wrinkles. She took a deep breath, then exhaled. "Here it goes," she whispered then reached out for the handle.

* * *

Inuyasha stood on the deck of the Shikon no Tama with his hands shaking. He was scared shitless.

'What the hell is my problem?' he thought to himself. 'She's just a woman. She's just a woman.'

He walked over to the door and held his fist up to knock, but quickly pulled it back and began to pace in front of it instead. He ran his fingers through his bangs, fisting the hair and pulling on it to keep himself from going crazy.

"Damn it she's not just a woman! _She's not just a woman!_" he whispered urgently to himself. "DAMN IT!!" He yelled, then quickly covered his mouth with his hand after realizing his mistake and backing up from the door, shuffling his feet.

Why was this time so different? He'd kissed her a few times, talked to her without nerves, hell he had been within centimeters of her while they were both nude! Going in there should be a piece of cake. And yet somehow he was all nerves at this point.

He pulled out the note she'd sent him and read over it again.

_We've got to talk. _

_Come to my cabin on the Shikon._

_-Kagome_

_P.S. I'm wearing something nice._

When he had first read that note it made him hop out of his seat in a drop of the hat. But as he made his way over to the ship he had second thoughts. She wrote that she wanted to talk, but about what? Maybe she didn't want to be around him, like the last time they had met up like this three years ago. But then again, she could be saying that she does want to spend time together… It was all so confusing!

"Okay, I've got to do this," he decided, taking long confident strides over to the door.

"Here it goes," he whispered, then knocked on the door.

When Kagome opened the door Inuyasha nearly fell over, and he couldn't tell whether it was from nerves, or from how good she looked with her hair up.

"Hi Inuyasha," she said with a small smile. She opened the door a bit wider and stepped inside, "Um… come in?"

"Yeah," he agreed as he stepped inside and she closed the door behind him. Suddenly his nerves were gone, and he looked around the warm room with interest. To be truthful, he'd always wanted to see the place Kagome rested her head at night. It resembled her personality, warm and inviting.

"So, um, take a seat," Kagome said, motioning to the chair at the table.

Both of them headed towards the table and sat across from each other, but neither of them could look the other in the eye. Kagome kept her eyes on her hands. Inuyasha kept his eyes on the rum.

"Uh… may I?" he asked, motioning to the bottle on the table. Once Kagome nodded Inuyasha had the liquid spilling down his throat in a matter of seconds. His nerves had risen once again and he desperately needed to get them under control. Hopefully, the alcohol would tame them.

Kagome cleared her throat when he finished with his drink to get his attention. Once she had it, she looked into his eyes to draw confidence from him. Unfortunately, it didn't happen.

"So, we need to talk…"

"A-About?"

"Us. We need to talk about us," she said determined.

"Okay. Us… a broad topic, that one," he laughed nervously.

"Yeah… well I wanted to start by saying that there is something there… you know, there are feelings between us. Right?" She said and questioned at the same time.

Inuyasha nodded; a little more confident now that he was sure she felt _something_ for him. Kagome visibly relaxed.

"But it's still kinda blurry. Sure there's a physical attraction that we should both admit to. But we need to clear up the emotions that go with it. I need to do more clearing up than you do, and it may be a lot for me to say right now, but I'd really appreciate it if you could just listen and not interrupt so I can say it."

The hanyou nodded his head and ran his finger around the rim of his glass as he looked at her, his eyes filled with curiosity and interest.

Kagome took in a deep breath and let it out slowly before she began.

"Inuyasha ever since the day I met you I've always seen something inside you that interested me. Something about you, something in your eyes just caught my attention. And every time I look at you with my guard down, it's like you're calling to me and all I want to do is go to you," she started.

"For the longest time, I've seen you as a mystery because of that interesting spark you have. I always thought that in order to understand it I'd have to get to know you to find out whatever it is that you had in you. It was lodged into my mind that I'd have to know every detail about you and your life to find out what it was that made you so different. But every time I tried to find out about you, I'd get sidetracked by something you did or said and forget all about getting the facts."

"Before I knew it you'd become my best friend, and much much more than just a puzzle for me to solve. I found myself having fun in your presence, and feeling things that I've never felt for any one else."

"One thing that I really need to tell you before I keep going, is why I did what I did that night three years ago under the sky. You have to believe that I meant the best when I did it, and at the time it seemed like the right thing to do."

Kagome sighed and rubbed her head for a brief pause, trying to figure out where to go next. After a moment she made up her mind and spoke again. She began to tell him about the conversation that she overheard at Ouji's teahouse that day a few years back. She watched his face the entire time, noting when certain emotions would flow through his eyes and when they went away, or when they were replaced with another.

"That day, after I heard her I went to speak with Jinenji. He told me about the attempts on your life and I couldn't help but feel responsible. It was then that I decided we needed to be separated. I wish I could say that I did it completely for your well being. But I can't. The truth is, I couldn't let myself take on so much pressure. In the back of my mind I knew that if I kept going with the knowledge in my head that you could be killed because of me, I would be crushed by the responsibility. I was looking out for myself."

"I'm so sorry for this Inuyasha. I… I really didn't mean to hurt you. That was the very last thing I've ever wanted to do. So, just that we are clear, I never hated you, or disliked you in anyway. In fact, it hurt to be so distant from you…" she said with a small shy smile and a blush on her face. She glanced at the hanyou to see how he was taking all this, but he had his head down, and she wasn't able to tell.

"That time on the stairs, I saw that same thing in your eyes, and it teased me. I wanted to go to you so badly, but I couldn't. But after I saw you at the baths… I just gave in. I couldn't take being away for so long."

"Ever since last night, I've been thinking about this spark you have and I was planning on how I was gonna get to know you and figure out just what it was when it hit me," she smiled and placed her chin in her hand.

"I already know you Inuyasha. All this time I had fooled myself into thinking that I didn't know what that spark was that you have, when I've known it ever since we became friends. It's you. It is the essence of you. It's your sense of humor, your intelligence, your kindness, your arrogance, your passion for breaking the rules, your roughness, your tenderness, ability to scare the living shit out of me!" she laughed, eliciting a smile from the man sitting across form her.

"Inuyasha, it was never some added thing, some unknown, some…some… some… some great answer to perfect riddle or any of that crap that I was addicted to for all these years," she struggled to say. She reached out to touch his hand and they locked eyes.

"It was you. It was you that had me hooked."

Inuyasha looked at her with many emotions in his eyes, much too many to name. He grinned at her for a moment then looked at the table.

"I… Damn, I'm not too good at expressing these kinds of emotions, Kagome. You know that. But uh… I can definitely say that your feelings aren't one-sided. You're not in the boat by yourself. I care a lot about you too. Um… and, well what can I say? I'm a pirate. I'm always after treasure, and it seems that this time the treasure I'm after isn't something shiny," he said with his lopsided grin.

Kagome out right laughed at him. "That might not have been the most romantic way to say you have feelings for me, but I did love it."

"Well, I try," he commented, laughing right along with her. "But if it's romance you want…" he trailed off as he stood and walked around to the other side of the table. He kneeled down in front of her and took one of her hands into his own.

"Oh Kami," Kagome said, rolling her eyes with a smile.

"Lady Kagome I do believe I've taken a fancy to you. Would you do me the honor of becoming my significant other?" he asked with a polite smile on his face.

"Well, Captain I think it's about time we became more than just good friends. Yes I think I will, as long as you give up on the girls I know you sleep with whenever you leave the island," she said with an arched eyebrow.

"You have my word. Consider them gone. But that also implies that you don't have any relations outside of the ones we share, got it?" he asked with a stern look.

"Not a problem," she agreed with a nod.

Inuyasha kissed her hand then stood to sit on the table beside her.

"So… now what?" he asked, looking out the window over her bed.

"I dunno. I was so worried about this talk alone I never even thought about what would happen afterward…"

"There is one thing we could do…" he said, raising his eyebrows at her in a suggestive way.

"Oh? And that would be?" she asked him, knowing full well what he was referring to.

"Well," he spoke as he got up and walked behind Kagome. "It involves some of this," he paused to kiss her neck, nipping her and running his tongue over it. "And this," he paused again to run his hands over her body, starting from her shoulders and going down the front to fondle her breasts, which was bold on his part. "And of course some of this," he whispered in her ear as his hands went farther down to pull her legs apart. His left hand slid from her inner thigh down to her core, where he used his middle finger to caress her through he leggings.

"Aah!" Kagome cried out at the sensation he had made on her body.

Inuyasha smirked into her neck as he pulled his hand away slowly, and his smirk only got bigger as she grabbed his hand and shoved it back between her legs. He left it there for a small while, slowly and sensually massaging her through the thin black cloth of her leggings.

But when Kagome began to move her hips along with his movements, he pulled back his hand and turned her head to look at him.

"Bed?" he asked, nodding his head over to the built in bed under the window. She agreed with a nod of her head and began to get to her feet. Inuyasha had other ideas though, and he picked her up instead. He carried her over to the bed with one of her legs on either side of him and his hands under her bottom.

When he got there he kneeled down onto the mattress, then slowly let Kagome down so that they were basically in the same position, just horizontally. Inuyasha started to kiss her neck once more and Kagome kept herself busy with playing with his ears like she had done early that day. He growled a little, which made her giggle, and he slid down her body to untie her kimono. Once the piece of fabric was loose he pulled it apart slowly, only enough to show the start of the swell of breasts, but not everything.

When he stopped to look at her face she blushed. "Nani?"

He smiled a cheesy little smile. "You are so beautiful. Now hold your hips in the air."

"Huh?"

He chuckled a little. "Just do it."

Hesitantly she did as she was told, bucking her hips off the mattress and holding them there. Inuyasha hooked each of his index fingers into the hem of her leggings and in one swift movement he had them down past her knees. The miko was a little startled though, and she dropped her hips as soon as he finished.

"You could have told me you were going to do that," she commented as she watched him strip her of her boots and leggings.

"What's the fun in that? Besides, the way you look when you're surprised is cute," he joked. He brought her left leg up to rest on his shoulder as he started to kiss his way down from her ankle to her knee.

She propped herself up on her elbows to watch him with interest. "You're so cruel Inuyasha."

"Keh," he paused to make circles on her skin with his tongue. "You know you love it." He continued to kiss down her leg, getting ever so close to the pleasure center between her legs.

"Bleh. Bite me," she said with a laugh. Her tones quickly changed though as she called out and threw her head back in a pleasurable surprise. "Oh Kami, Inuyasha!"

"Nani? You said bite me," he spoke, confidence oozing from his voice. Then he ran his tongue over the spot he hand gently bit her on her inner thigh, mere centimeters away from the white undergarment that covered the place that yearned for his touch the most.

Unable to take the scent of her arousal anymore, Inuyasha slipped his thumbs under the fabric she wore and slipped it down her legs, chucking it across the room once it was off. He pushed her knees apart and settled himself between her legs before slipping in two of his fingers inside her, careful of his claws.

Kagome licked her lips and moaned in ecstasy. She had been waiting for him to touch her like that since she had hit puberty, and quite frankly that had been a bit to long but completely worth it. Especially when she could feel his hot wet mouth engulfing her. Both his fingers and his mouth working together were enough to push her over the edge and send her spiraling into an orgasm that racked through her entire body after just a few minutes.

He cleaned up the mess he had made, successfully bringing her back into an aroused state before he sat up and smiled.

"Didn't know I'd be that good at it huh?"

"Why'd you do that? Finishing me off before we really even got started?" she asked between pants.

He looked at her in confusion. "Kagome, I'm no where near finished with you. Trust me."

"Okay, fine," she sat up and pushed him back onto the mattress, her kimono flapping open to reveal her upper body to him. "But this is a two way thing. So these cloths have got to go."

He smirked and unbuttoned his shirt, pulling it off his shoulders and tossing it to the floor. She took the liberty of unbuckling his belt, pulling it and his firearms and other miscellaneous items off with it. He kicked off his boots, but she pulled down his trousers, and anything he wore under them also.

She took a moment to look him over, slowly taking in everything from the top of his head to the bottom of his feet. She couldn't help but make an observation.

"You have an all over tan."

He laughed a little at her and licked his lips. "I don't tan Kagome. I'm naturally this color."

"Yeah, well I like it."

"Good. Now were you lying when you said this was a two way thing, or are you really gonna—Holy fuck!" he cursed as she slid her body down his. Her breasts were smashed up against him as she slowly made her way down, eventually he felt them on his erection, which aroused him even further. The feeling of her soft and supple skin and the small hardened buds nearly drove him insane as she settled down with her chest on his thigh.

The hanyou composed himself a little while she stopped moving. He opened his mouth to say something, but the words flew from his mind as he felts something warm and wet cover his length. He looked down to find that he was slowly disappearing into the miko's mouth, her teeth and tongue gently gliding over him. When she had all that there was room for in her mouth she pulled him out and he nearly whimpered at the loss of contact. Who knew she was such a tease?

With a grin on her face she used her right hand to stroke him, enjoying the look on his face with his eyes tightly shut and his teeth accompanied by one of his fangs biting down on his bottom lip. She increased the speed of her hand and used her tongue to circle around his tip. At one point when he felt he was about to climax, she pulled away from him and he nearly screamed in his frustration.

He propped himself up on his elbows and looked at her with a desire in his eyes. "Kagome…" he pleaded.

She giggled at him and pushed him back down onto the mattress. With a quick glance at him, Kagome took him into her mouth once more, but this time in all seriousness. She gave him her best this time, pushing him to the back of her throat.

He watched her head bob up and down until he could feel something building up in his groin and something told him that he wouldn't last much longer.

"Wait, wait, wait!" he exclaimed as he sat up and gently pulled her from him.

She looked a little confused, like a deer in the headlights. "What? What happened?"

"I changed my mind. I need you to stop," he said, a serious look on his face.

She looked from one of his heads to the other. "You can't be serious."

"Oh, I still want to finish, I just wanna finish differently," he continued, he gave her chaste kiss and leaned her back onto the mattress. "I wanna be inside you when I finish. Just for the first time, if you don't mind."

She rolled her eyes at him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "You should have just said so in the first place."

"And miss out," he paused to kiss her neck and jawbone gently nipping and biting every now and then, which she seemed to like. "On the most wonderful," he stopped talking again to give attention to the other side of her neck, "experience I've ever had," he stopped, this time to kiss her lips, "with any woman and her mouth?"

She smiled up at him and stuck her tongue out at him mockingly. He took the opportunity to catch it between his lips and play with it inside of his mouth. "You shouldn't stick your tongue out at me, I might make you keep it there."

"Fine, Kiss me Inuyasha?"

He smiled and leaned his head down again to kiss her while he used his hands to finally slip the kimono off her shoulders. Their kisses became rough and passionate, their breathing became fast and uneven, and it seemed that the temperature was rising between the two. Inuyasha slipped one of his hands between her legs again and sure enough she was spilling out juices once more. His middle finger slipped up and down her slit, eliciting a moan from her.

The hanyou took a minute to give some attention to her breasts also, bending down to catch one of her nipples between his teeth. He continued to play with her breasts, flicking his tongue out to taste one and using his other hand to massage the other. Every once in a while he continued to bite her gently, as he had been doing before. His knee rested between her legs and it made contact with her a few times, applying pressure to her sensitive spot and making her moan even louder.

"Nnn! Inu-I-Inuyasha!" she cried, raking her nails across his back.

The way she said his name put a strain on his self-control, he wanted… no, _needed_ to be inside her.

"Kagome… I need to make love to you… now," he said, looking into her eyes.

She nodded and rolled over onto her stomach under him. She reached over the side of the bed and pulled out a drawer. He watched her, a little perplexed.

When she turned back around she brought a small vile with a cork, inside it was a purple liquid.

"What's that?"

She took the cork out with her teeth and tossed it somewhere on the floor. "Inuyasha, are you ready to be a father?"

"No."

"Well I'm not ready to be a mother. That's what this is for," she answered before she downed the liquid and set the bottle on the floor. She settled herself under him and opened her legs, signaling to him that it was okay.

Inuyasha bit his lip and guided himself to her entrance. At first he just rubbed his head against her, making sure she was slick enough, then without warning he plunged into her, causing her to cry out and grip his shoulders tightly.

He stopped moving and looked down at her to make sure she was all right. "You're not a virgin, are you?" he asked, already certain of the answer.

She shook her head. "No, but I haven't done this in a while, or had anyone of this size before…"

Inuyasha chuckled a little. "Should I stop?"

"HELL N—I mean… no," she said, looking anywhere but his face.

He watched her intently after her little outburst as he pulled himself about halfway out, and roughly pushed back in. She opened her mouth when their hips met, and he knew she had meant to make a sound, but nothing had come. What he did not know is that he had hit a spot so deep inside her that she herself didn't even know existed, and it felt… _good_.

He repeated his action a few times in a row but with a little less intensity as the last time. Then he paused and pulled one of her legs up and over his arm and kept going.

As Inuyasha's thrusts grew faster the noise in the room grew louder, every thrust accompanied with a moan, or even just the sound of heaving breath. The sound of their bodies pounding against each other flowed with the tempo, and their bodies glistened with a coat of sweat. Kagome's sent filled his sensitive nose, every noise she made was music to his ears, and the rest of his senses intensified every touch they between them.

Kagome on the other hand was being pleasured, but not exactly how she wanted…

"Deeper! Deeper Inuyasha!"

"Y-You can't be fuckin' serious," he panted, still pounding into her.

"Just go deeper!" she yelled. She desperately wanted him to hit the spot he'd hit earlier, but for some reason he just wasn't doing it.

"I can't! If I do, you'll have bruises all over your hips!" he explained.

"Please, Inuyasha!" she begged, staring at him with her coffee brown eyes filled with desire and lust. Now how could he deny that? But she didn't understand. He could go deeper, but it would be a bit rougher than he would have liked in this position. On the other hand, he did want to satisfy her…

Suddenly an idea hit him, and he stopped thrusting his hips. Before Kagome could ask why he stopped he rolled them both over so that Kagome was straddling him.

"Why'd you change up?" she asked, she didn't really need to await an answer before she started rocking back and forth though.

"You said you wanted it deeper," he replied, watching her chest as she continued to move. It was like his eyes were glued to them, but at this particular moment she didn't really mind. "This way, you get what you want, and I don't hurt you. It'll work, trust me. You've got gravity on your side, savvy?"

She nodded her head, letting out a soft moan as she did a movement consisting of moving back and forth and up and down at the same time.

Kagome seemed to like it better this way. At this angle she could get all of him inside her and she could feel the tip of his shaft hitting that spot again and again and again. She felt his large hands move over her skin, from her thighs to her stomach and up to her breasts, which he squeezed just to see her reaction. She nearly screamed, it all felt so good, especially when he started meeting her thrusts with his own.

She could feel a familiar feeling of something building up between her legs, somewhere deep inside her. She relished the tension in her body, the suspense just adding more to it.

Inuyasha was basically in the same situation as her. Watching this goddess ride him the way she did put feelings that went far beyond the physical bond they had at the moment. They weren't doing this just because they wanted sexual gratification. It was so much more than that. Both of them knew.

"Damn it, so close," Inuyasha whispered huskily.

Kagome moaned and leaned forward to place he hands on either side of him on the mattress. Moving together, they started to rock the mattress in its post, pulling the sheets off of it and bunching them up. Inuyasha sat up and buried his face in the nape of the black-haired woman's neck, inhaling her scent and preparing himself for what he was sure would be one of the greatest feelings he'd ever experienced.

Suddenly all the pressure and all the suspense Kagome's body had built up reached its boiling point and all spilled over into a climax that had her seeing stars. She practically screamed the hanyou's name out, not caring if anyone could hear her. All her muscled tensed up, and she grabbed two fistfuls of Inuyasha silver hair, pulling on it gentle enough not hurt him, but hard enough to pull his head away from her neck.

Inuyasha had his own pleasure outburst, not screaming as Kagome had, but calling out the miko's name none the less. His hands didn't grab her hair, but they did have a tight grip on each of her thighs as he slammed her down onto him while his own orgasm ripped through him and he released deep inside her.

Although Inuyasha wasn't the first to reach his goal, he was the first to get a grip on reality once again, or close to it. His hands relaxed, even though they did leave little red marks one her thighs where his fingers had been. He started to take notice of little things, like Kagome's chest heaving against his own, her hair falling in his face as he rested his head on her shoulder, and his own hair coming loose from her grip.

He eased himself back onto the bed and grabbing one of the pillows they had knocked to the side at some point to place under his head. Kagome's naked body was still lying on top of him, and he would have thought she'd fallen asleep if she hadn't lifted her head to look at him.

"Arigato, Inuyasha," she said with a smile.

He grinned at her. "Your welcome. And ditto." He grabbed hold of her hips and raised them up so he could pull himself out of her and lay her down next to him. After he set her down, he grabbed the blanket that had also been knocked to the floor and laid it over them.

"You know," he whispered, brushing her hair from her face. "You really are beautiful Kagome."

She smiled with half-lidded eyes. "And so are you. Outside," she said, laying her head on the pillow next to his. "And especially on the inside."

He watched her as she silently drifted to sleep her smile still on her lips.

The pirate sighed and closed his eyes, wondering if he'd be able to fall asleep, seeing as he did sleep that morning and that he normally only really slept every other week…

"Keh, I'll try. It's not like I've got all my energy after _that_ anyway…" he spoke quietly to himself.

He looked over to the dark-haired woman he shared the bed with and smiled. He silently stole her lips.

She was something else.

* * *

"Please… It's all these people have… If we put them out, then where will they stay for this cold night?" a rather old man spoke with fright. He was the owner of a homeless shelter for those in need, which many people believed to be the best building in the entire city. He was on his knees, begging this man, this monster, to let him take control of his own establishment.

Said monster sat in a rather expensive looking chair in the middle of the room previously used as a library. He had a pipe and he took a long drag from it, blowing the smoke out in short puffs.

"These worthless people are so far beneath me. It would be a disgrace and an insult to me if I were even to think of sharing my residence with them."

"But Sir, some of them are just children, in fact we have a woman who only just gave birth to her first child this morning. If you leave the infant outside tonight, that lovely couple will have to endure the loss of their not even day old child!" the old man pleaded.

"I simply cannot allow myself to sink to such a level where I'd let those dirty things stay in the same place as I for the night. _You_ are lucky I'm even allowing you and your family to stay."

"You beast!" the man shrieked, getting up from his kneeling position. "The world does not revolve around you, you horrible and thoughtless man! Get out! Get out of my home! You are not welcome here!" he bellowed.

The man sitting in the chair set his pipe down and stood, walking over to the old man.

"You impress me. You stand up for yourself, and the ones you care for. That is a quality many men wish to posses," the man spoke with a voice of neutrality.

The older of the two men felt relieved. "Finally, you understa—nn!" he choked. He looked down to his chest to find an extension of the man's arm impaling him. "W-What are you?"

"Naraku," the man replied with a polite smile. He shook the man's corpse from his limb and wiped off his hand.

"How delightful," Said a woman standing in the corner, examining her nails. "Just spew his guts all over the floor in front of a lady."

"He sealed his fate when he decided to come back and see me about those mongrels," Naraku said, walking over to the woman.

She looked up at him with vibrant red eyes. Those eyes never ceased to amaze him. They were so colorful, so lively look to them, and yet they held no emotion. In fact, the closest this particular woman ever got to emotion was sarcasm. Which isn't very close.

"Kagura-chan," Naraku spoke, running his thumb over the woman's cheek. "You are so beautiful."

Kagura made a face that communicated her disgust. She turned her head, trying to shake his hand from her face.

"Oh sister dearest, don't look at me that way," he said with a smile. "You love your only brother, don't you?"

Kagura looked at her older brother with a blank stare, not opening her mouth to say a word as the door opened and a little albino girl accompanied by two guards walked into the room.

"Naru-chan, leave poor Kagura alone," she said in an airy voice as she slowly turned her head to look at them.

"Don't tell me what to do Kanna," Naraku said to his sister.

"Don't play childish games like this, otouto," she said, ignoring his last comment and walking over to his chair to have a seat.

Naraku let Kagura's face go when he heard the word childish. The one thing he couldn't stand to be called was childish. He was no child. He was Onigumo Naraku, head of the Outlaw Retrieval Division in the Youkai Syndicate of Japan. Calling him a child was like saying Kanna got too much sun. It was ridiculous.

"Otouto, stop playing these games. You will never find the Goten no Kaizoku if you do not deploy some sort of action, and quickly," Kanna spoke through her tiny airy voice.

"Don't tell me what I should do, Kanna. You maybe be my older sister, but you are not my mother."

"I do not wish to be your mother. I only seek to aid my only brother, before he uses his stupidity to ruin everything for himself," she said, pulling out a mirror from her robes. She used the sleeve over her kimono to rub off any dust particle that may have accumulated on the surface.

"Well what do you suggest exactly, Kan-nee?" he said, his voice oozing fake sugary sweetness as he used his old childhood nickname for her.

Kanna turned the mirror to herself, and appeared to examine her reflection as she spoke. "I say send out your bounty hunters. Give them each a match up to each member of the court, and send them with the orders, dead or alive."

Naraku walked to the middle of the room, looking up at the ceiling where there appeared to be a spider. When he looked back down, his face was contorted with malicious happiness.

"Fine. I accept your advice. I have considered it, and I will do as you suggest. I will send out my top bounty hunters for them, but with a different order than 'dead or alive'," he responded, his hands on his hips.

"What orders are those?" Kanna asked, finally looking up from her mirror.

Naraku smiled at his oldest sister. "Why don't you take yourself to your room? It's dark in there, and I know how much my sister loves the dark."

Kanna looked to her brother with her blank stare.

"What orders?"

Her brother merely walked towards the room exit with a smile, and as he left he thought to himself, _Better ones._

* * *

Kagome awoke with warmth surrounding her. She smiled as she opened her eyes and saw Inuyasha's face resting on her pillow. As she watched him sleep, she couldn't help but notice how handsome he was. But, he couldn't sleep forever.

Inuyasha's eyes shot open in one swift moment, and had no trouble at all focusing in on Kagome's face.

"Hi," he said his voice low and groggy.

She giggled. "Hi. How'd you sleep?"

"Well," he started as he propped himself up on an elbow. "Seeing as I don't normally sleep so much, surprisingly well. Of course, I did fall asleep a long time after you did."

"Oh… I'm sorry. I forgot about you not needing to sleep so much. Were you bored?" she asked with an apologetic smile.

"Keh, I was fine."

Kagome sat up, the blanket falling off her, to move the curtains to the side so she could peer out the window. It was a sunny morning, and she could tell that it was some time near ten.

"Well, what do you want to do?" she asked, turning back towards the hanyou. When she caught him staring at her uncovered chest, she picked up a pillow and hit him with it, before hugging it in front of her to keep some modesty.

"Kagome… dear… it's not like I haven't seen it… touched it… tasted it…" he grinned as he spoke, obviously thinking about what had happened between them last night.

"Well I'd appreciate it if you could keep your eyes to yourself for a moment, and think about what you want to do now."

He yanked the pillow from her grip and tossed it across the room. "This is what I want to do now!" he argued, only this time instead of just looking he reached his hand out for her.

When she turned away from him, he frowned and sat all the way up. "Turn away from me will you? Didn't yer mom ever teach you not to turn your back on a pirate?"

Kagome giggled at him. "Nope. Not once did she ever tell me that."

He leaned over her shoulder, circling his arms around her middle. "What about vicious dogs?"

"Oh please. You? A vicious dog?"

He simply barked at her.

"Inuyasha?"

"Hm?"

"You're afraid of hopper fish."

"So?"

She turned around in his arms to put her own arms around him. "You are afraid of those tiny little fish, and you consider yourself a vicious dog?"

"Hey, I can still beat you in a fight!" he said with a small pout. She pulled away from him to get out of bed (taking the blanket with her) and tossing him his trousers to put on, which he did while still lying on her bed. She went to a set of drawers near her bookshelf and opened one of them to find a new pair of underpants to slip on.

"You wish," she muttered, rolling her eyes. When she couldn't find her own shirt, she picked his up off the floor and slipped in on instead, only bothering to button up about four of the buttons on the oversized white shirt.

She was startled when two big bare arms wrapped themselves around her shoulders and she heard a husky voice in her ear. "Is that a challenge Kagome?"

She shivered against him. "No. Just the truth."

He shook his head with his forehead on her shoulder. "Keh."

"EEK!" she squealed when she felt something hard and cold on her back. She immediately jumped away from him and turned around to see him laughing and holding a rather large silver coin in his hands.

"Money tends to get cold when it's not in your pockets at night," he said with a grin, flipping the coin and catching it.

"Oh, you'll pay for that Takahashi," she warned while backing up to a corner. "That was a low and dirty trick."

He took a bow, that lopsided grin still plastered to his face.

When he came back up from his bow, he was hit square in the face with a pillow, and when he removed the pillow he only had enough time to see Kagome running at him before she jumped, latching herself onto his upper body. He stumbled backward, the pillow in one hand and he supported her weight with the other. That was when he felt it.

Little finger tips dancing across the sensitive skin on the back of his neck.

He fought to keep the bubbling feeling inside his throat from coming out, but she was persistent in her attack. The hanyou stumbled backward and fell back onto the mattress with a bounce and Kagome on his stomach. She kept up the little finger dance, using both of her hands to travel from his neck to his chest and back again. And he couldn't fight it any longer.

"HA HA HA! AH, QUIT IT!" he laughed, squirming underneath her like a child.

She kept up the tickle attack with one hand and grabbed the discarded pillow with the other, and then she started a one-sided pillow fight, playfully thumping him with the pillow.

He laughed, not even putting up a fight with one hand resting on her thigh, the other on her hip. She giggled, up until she got tired and tossed the pillow aside to rest her head on his chest, her untamed raven black hair falling over him in waves.

"Revenge is sweet," she sighed with a smile.

"Now, now Kags. An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind," Inuyasha replied, holding up one of his hands to block the sun that was spilling out from behind the curtains from his eyes.

"Okay, and now Confucius say inu who cares for miko stops talking, and gives said miko a kiss."

Inuyasha laughed. "Really? I don't quite remember that particular proverb…"

Kagome lifted her head to look at the hanyou with a smile. "Yeah? Well Kagome say shut up and kiss me."

"Oh, I think I know that one," he replied, leaning towards Kagome's lips.

The two had just barely touched lips when there was a banging at the door.

Knock, knock, knock.

"Hey Kagome-chan, open up! I know you're in there!" yelled a feminine voice from the other side.

Kagome scrambled off Inuyasha, nearly falling onto the floor, and ran towards the wooden door. Inuyasha watched her in amusement as she cracked open the door.

* * *

Ayame stood outside Kagome's cabin door and was about to knock again when the door creaked open and Kagome stuck her head out.

"Hey Ayame," she said in a sing song voice. "What brings you here?"

"Well, remember Ryu from last night?" she said twiddling her fingers.

"Yeah…" the black haired girl said. She smirked. "How was he?"

"Oh kami, Kagome he was soooooooo good!" Ayame said with a laugh. "But now I've got a problem… You see, Ryu offered to take me to breakfast today, so I agreed but I asked if I could go home and change first, so he walked me home. Guess who was waiting at my door," she said, her hand on her hip.

"Who?"

"Kouga!"

Kagome looked at Ayame in silence for a moment.

"Say that again."

"Kou-ga was wai-ting at my do-or wh-en I got there," she said slowly and clearly, making sure to pronounce every syllable.

"No. Fuckin. Way."

"I know! It's kinda a long story, can I come in?" Ayame said, taking a step towards the door.

"NO!" Kagome shouted, her eyes wide. "I… Uh I mean, wouldn't you like it better if we just stayed out here and talk… kinda like we are now?"

Ayame arched an eyebrow at her friend. "No, I'm pretty sure coming inside would be better," she said. Before Kagome could protest Ayame used her youkai strength to push open the large door and step inside. What she saw caused her jaw to drop.

Inuyasha was sitting on Kagome's table, shirtless, pants low on his hips, belt unbuckled and hanging open, hair tussled, pulling on his second boot. She didn't even have to get close to him to smell the sex.

She looked over to Kagome, who she just noticed also had tousled hair, a hickey, and only wearing a shirt that obviously belonged to man, probably Inuyasha. Now that she wasn't out in open air, she could smell the sex on her too.

The redhead looked back to Inuyasha, who had finished with his boot, and was now leaning back a bit on the table to zip his zipper and buckle his belt. He looked up at her with a friendly smile.

"Hey Ayame, how's the neck?"

"Fine…" she answered.

She looked back over to Kagome who had a deep red blush on her face.

"Kagome did you fu—?"

"Okay, time to go!" she spontaneously shouted, pushing Ayame back outside and slamming the door behind her, locking Inuyasha inside the room. He could only stare at the door for a moment. Then he fell onto the floor and busted his gut laughing.

But outside a completely different mood was in the air.

"OH MY GOD KAGOME YOU FUCKED INUYASHA!" the youkai shrieked, staring at her friend with wide eyes.

"I DID NOT FUCK HIM!" she screamed back.

"YES YOU DID! THE SMELL'S ALL OVER YA!" she yelled.

"I. DID. NOT. FUCK. HIM!" the mikos yelled even louder.

"OH REALLY? WELL YOU CERTAINLY DIDN'T INVITE HIM OVER FOR TEA, NOW DID YOU!?"

Kagome sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Ayame. Listen to me. I did not _fuck_ Inuyasha."

"Then I'm curious, what do you call then, mate?"

She couldn't look her friend in the eye as a blush rose in her cheeks. " I didn't fuck him."

Ayame looked at her with an eyebrow arched.

"I made love to him."

"Honey," Ayame started, putting her hand on her friend's shoulder. "You only make love to a person you care ab—Oooooh!"

Kagome hung her head in shame _for_ Ayame. It was a bit sad how slow she could be after she'd had a one-night-stand. Especially a good one.

"Wow… Kagome I'm shocked. Since when did the two of you…?"

"Well, believe or not we were good friends, about to become more than that, before you joined the Goten. Then… I let something-stupid get in the way of that. But since we've come home, certain feelings resurfaced and… well you know the rest."

"Holy. Shit."

"Tell me about," Kagome laughed, buttoning up a few more buttons on Inuyasha's shirt. "Now, you wanna tell me about this Kouga incident?"

"Oh hell no, that can wait. That," she said, pointing at the door, "is what we need to discuss. I want a full play by play summary of what happened last night."

"Okay, I can do that," Kagome said with a finger on her chin. "He got here, I let him in. He had a drink. We talked. We had sex. The end! Now can we get off of it?"

Ayame looked at her friend with her lip poked out. "Okay, you don't have to tell me everything. But I'm just curious, are the rumors about inu youkai true?"

Kagome looked confused. "What rumors?"

Ayame took up twiddling her fingers again. "Well, I know it's true for ookami, and I've heard it was true for inu also, but then again you never know…"

"What is it?"

"Do they bite?"

Kagome nearly fell over, remembering quite a few times where she'd been "bitten" the night before…

"Keh, it's true."

Ayame and Kagome both looked towards the door to find Inuyasha standing in front of it with his hands shoved into his pockets and his hair a bit more tame then when they'd last saw him. Both girls said nothing as they stared at the shirtless hanyou.

"Nande? It's not like I can help it," he said with a look that clearly said 'quit looking at me that way'.

"I think… Maybe we could talk in a bit?" Ayame spoke to Kagome, not taking her eyes away from Inuyasha as she fought to keep in her laughter.

Kagome also looked at Inuyasha, who wasn't looking at either of them anymore. "Yeah, sure. Where we gonna meet up?"

"At the bridge. I kinda wanna go shopping."

"Okay, I'll see you in about an hour?"

"Why a whole hour Kagome-chan? Gonna go at it again?" Ayame joked, raising her eyebrows at her friend.

Kagome glared at her friend, trying her best to ignore Inuyasha's laughter.

"Okay, get off my ship!" Kagome bellowed, pointing in the direction of one of the ladders leading off the ship.

Ayame simply shrugged and turned towards the exit. "Jeez, don't get your bloomers in a bunch."

"And you!" she turned on Inuyasha who had his hand overt his mouth as he snickered, looking at everything but the woman calling out to him.

"I've got the mind to make you walk the plank just for laughing!"

"Ooh, I'm shakin' in my boots," he said sarcastically while he placed his hand on her head, messing her hair up even further.

"Ugh, just get back inside!" she said. She pushed his hand from her head and he opened the door for her, then followed her inside.

"So, what now?" the hanyou asked, leaning against the door again for lack of anything better to do.

"Well, I need to get to the baths, and quickly, so that I won't attract all sorts of youkai attention because I smell like you," she replied. She unbuttoned his shirt and slid it off her shoulders before tossing it at the hanyou.

The shirt landed on his head, and he pulled it away from his face and shoved it into his pocket. He didn't really feel like putting it on right now. Then he sniffed around himself, his shoulders, arms; anywhere his nose could reach.

"You know, I don't smell _that_ bad Kagome…" he sounded a little offended.

"I didn't mean it that way Yash, I just mean I don't want every youkai in town asking me if I "fucked" you like Ayame so nicely put it."

"I guess that's understandable," he spoke, watching her as she went through the drawers near her bookcase to look for cloths.

She found a long black shirt that had once belonged to Houjo (he didn't want it anymore) that she had tailored into a dress. When she slipped it on and buttoned it up, it reached down to just above her knees and had slits on the sides that went up to just below her hip so she could walk easily. It showed off the curves of her hips and chest very well, especially since the top few buttons had been removed so she could breathe a little easier, not to mention show off a little cleavage. She didn't really feel like combing her hair, so she just threw on one of her hats, this particular one was a simple pirate styled hat made of leather and tinted red. Then she grabbed a belt, also a red tinted leather, and wrapped it around her middle. She hooked a few things she'd need on the belt, then slipped on her favorite red boots that went up to just below the knee with gold buckles on them. She grabbed a towel and draped it over her shoulders and hooked a small bag onto her belt.

"Okay, now I'm ready to go," she announced and headed for the door.

"Do you think you'd mind giving me a lift to the baths?" she asked as he opened the door for her once more and they stepped outside.

"Keh, ain't got nothin' better to do."

"Good," she said with a smile as they headed for the rope ladder that would land them on the dock. Inuyasha completely ignored the ladder though, and hopped off the boat and onto the dock with ease.

He looked up to Kagome, who was still on the ship. "If you jump, I'll catch you," he said, holding his arms out.

Kagome wasn't one who was particularly afraid of heights, but she wasn't the kind of girl to pull daredevil stunts twenty-four seven either.

"Why would I want to jump when I've got a perfectly fine ladder right in front of me?"

"Fine, have it your way. Just know that I'll be able to see up your dress the whole way down," he smirked as he turned around. He took a minute then turned back around to say a bit more. "Actually, that might be a good idea. Go ahead, climb your little—Oh boy!" he stopped. By the time he'd turned back around she'd already jumped, and if it weren't for his quick reflexes he wouldn't have caught her.

"You could have told me you were going to jump," he said with a bit of annoyance.

"Nah, I was kinda planning on drop kicking you on the way down for your little comment about my dress," she laughed as she sauntered her way down the deck.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and followed her, wondering to himself just why he always was attracted to the violent ones.

* * *

"Oi! Kagome-chan!" Ayame called out to her friend. The other girl waved and walked over tot he redhead, linking arms so they could start down the bridge.

"So, about this thing with Kouga and Ryu…?" Kagome started, looking around at all the venders.

"Ugh, I don't even know where to start Kagome," her friend sighed.

"Okay, start when you got to your house, and tell me what happened next."

"All right. Ryu and I got to my house and Kouga was standing there, more like pacing in front of it actually. I saw him and nearly turned right back around, but he saw me and called out to me…"

**Flashback**

"Ayame!" Kouga shouted, taking a few steps toward the girl.

She reluctantly turned around acknowledged that she'd heard him with a look that clearly said 'What the hell are you doing at my house?'

He bit his lip anxiously as he walked the rest of the way to her, trying to ignore the other youkai standing next to her. "Uh… A-Ayame we need to talk…"

"Talk? What for?" she said with a confused look on her face.

"Eh, well… I wanna say I'm… I—Well this is kinda hard…" he stuttered, scratching the back of his head and staring at the ground.

She watched him as he tried to build up the confidence he'd had just moments ago before she'd arrived, but all his spirit was draining away from him, as he couldn't help but wonder who the hell this other guy was.

"I don't have all day Kouga. I kinda was planning on doing something."

He finally tore his gaze from the ground and focussed it on her emerald eyes, opening his mouth and taking a few moments before any words came out.

"I'm sorry!"

Ayame stood there, her arms crossed, her eyes wide. Was he really trying to apologize to her?

"Kami, this is hard. Okay, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I didn't want to hurt you yesterday… I don't know what came over me… I just, the way you kept yelling at me and… when you hit me… I should've had more self-control… But I… I lost it and I hurt you badly… And I can't stop thinking about it and I just need to say that I'm sorry Ayame…" he said, pausing, then quickly sputtering words, and pausing again.

Ayame could only watch him as he struggled to pull the words from himself. She couldn't help but remember their childhood together, where Kouga would do similar things whenever he was extremely nervous about something. She nearly smiled when she remembered once when he got so nervous that he couldn't speak without stuttering for an entire day. But she didn't.

"Do you think… maybe we could… talk privately?" he asked, throwing glances at Ryu, who looked really annoyed that another male was trying to get Ayame away from him. Quite frankly, Ryu thought that Kouga was pathetic and afraid of him. What he did not know was that Kouga wasn't afraid of him, on the contrary, at the moment he wanted to murder the bastard. It was Ayame's response that he was more afraid of.

"Um… if it's okay with Ryu, then I think we should…" she said, barely above a whisper as she looked to the dark haired youkai to her right.

"Actually, it's not okay. I don't think this guy has any right to take you away from me when you've already agreed to give me some of your time," he replied with a glare at Kouga.

Kouga growled at the other male, balling his fists. "It's not whether I have the right to or not, it's whether she wants to or not. And if you were listening, then you'd know that she said that we should. So why don't you back off a bit, so she can do what she wants."

Ryu growled back, baring his fangs at Kouga. He took a few steps forward and grabbed him by the strap on his armor. "Listen, _yowamiso_, she said she'd go if it was okay with me, and it isn't. So go home, and stay out of it."

Kouga narrowed his eyes at Ryu, glancing at his hand gripping his cloths.

"Take your hands off me," he said with edge in his voice.

Ryu merely snorted, and used his grip on him to push him into the wall on Ayame's house.

Kouga looked as if he was ready to kill, trying to calm himself so he wouldn't ruin his chance to talk with Ayame. He took a deep breath, and let it out slowly with his eyes closed in concentration. "Listen, you don't want to start a fight. Just let me go, and I won't have to kick the shit out of you," he said in a low voice, trying to keep it low enough so Ayame wouldn't hear.

"Kick the shit out of _me_?" Ryu questioned with a smirk. "Not only are you weak, but you're a liar too."

Kouga was just a hair away from losing it. He looked over to Ayame. "You'd better save lover boy here or I swear I'll kill him. And you know I can Ayame," he spoke in a dangerously low voice. Ayame took every word of what he said seriously, and stepped forward to pull Ryu from Kouga but the he did something really stupid.

He hit him. He hit Kouga square in the jaw, making his head crash into the wall behind him and a small bruise appear on the left side of his face.

That was when he lost it.

The youkai lifted his leg and sent his foot flying into Ryu's middle, sending the other male soaring across the street and into an alley. Ayame ran over to Kouga to ask him to stop but he was already headed towards Ryu, who was just now getting up from his spot on the ground.

Kouga tackled him, pushing him into the ground even further. Then he sat up and sent punch after punch into the youkai's face, successfully drawing blood from his mouth, nose, and a cut under his left eye.

Ayame ran to the two in the alley and slipped her arms under Kouga's, then over his shoulders, putting him into a headlock. Lucky for her she remembered how hard it was for Kouga to pull out of these when he was angry, having to have done it countless times when they were younger to save some poor sap from being beaten to a pulp.

As she used all her strength to pull him away, Kouga kicked at Ryu, landing two more blows to his abdomen and sending him sprawling back down to the ground.

She dragged him out of the alley into the middle of the street. A few of the people passing by watched them with interest, others simply ignored or avoided them. He struggled against her, angry enough to not even think of the proper way to get out of this particular hold, just trying to move forward while he was still trapped.

"Kouga!" she whispered pleadingly in his ear. "Kouga stop it! He's not worth it! Just calm down!"

When he heard her voice he stopped struggling and just leaned against her, breathing hard, a look of hatred still on his face.

When his breathing evened out and the scent of anger started to fade away, she released him. His arms slowly came down from their previous position, and he slumped his shoulders forward instead of back like that had been. They stood in the middle of the road, his back to her, but still close enough that if he relapsed back into anger, she could easily put him back into the headlock.

When he turned around to look at her, he looked tired, not physically, but mentally drained.

"So… have I completely ruined my chances of having that talk with you yet?" he asked in a quiet voice, almost as if he was afraid if he spoke too loud, he'd ruin everything.

She watched him, studying his face. She'd never seen Kouga look so desperate before. It touched in a way that she'd never imagined he would be able to. What had changed about him, from last night to this morning?

"No… you haven't," she whispered, a little shocked to hear the words slip from her mouth.

He looked relieved.

"Later… tonight, after the Goten meeting. Maybe outside on the beach?" she said, continuing to whisper, for a reason she did not know.

He nodded silently, then awkwardly took a few steps backward, as if he were unwilling to turn around yet.

He waved to her.

She waved back.

He vanished behind a corner.

Ayame sat down right there in the middle of the street and pushed her bangs from her face.

"What the hell did I just agree to?"

**End Flashback**

"YOU AGREED TO IT!?" Kagome shrieked, eliciting plenty of stares from other people.

"Will you lower your voice!" Ayame whispered urgently. "Yeah, I told him I'd meet him so we could talk… Don't look at me that way! He looked so… desperate! I dunno, he just reminded me of…" she stopped, looking down at her feet.

"Kagome, I never told anybody here this before… but Kouga and I used to be really close."

"No!" she said, pretending to be shocked. The raven-haired captain wasn't so sure if it was just the right thing to tell her friend that Kouga had mentioned this yesterday while she was passed out…

"Yeah… we used to be best friends. We spent our childhood together. And then that stupid engagement ruined everything!" she choked, nearly shedding tears.

Kagome looked at her friend with worry and steered her towards the bridge wall, where they sat down and looked out at the river.

"It's okay to let it out Ayame," Kagome said. She put an arm around her friend, and the red head rested her head on her friend's shoulder. "I know it hurts, and you can tell me about it if it'll make you feel better."

Ayame sniffed, tears welling up in her eyes. "Kouga always hated his grandfather. He was always pushing him into things, training him much too hard to be a great warrior and what not. He used to complain to me all the time about how he wasn't something to just be controlled like puppet. That's how his grandfather made him feel."

"Well, his grandfather, and my grandfather were old friends, and they had said that their children would mate and lead the pack. Well, the two of them had lots of kids between them, but they were all boys. So, when the eldest two of their sons mated and had their own pups, our grandfathers decided that they would mate and lead the pack instead."

"Give you one good guess who those two pups were," Ayame said as she wiped her eyes.

"You and Kouga," Kagome replied, hugging her friend closer.

The youkai nodded. "So we were put together since the day I was born, about two years after Kouga. It didn't really occur to us that there was a reason why we only played with each other and not any of the other pups in the pack, when we were younger all we really needed was each other anyway. Then, when I became of age they told us that we were betrothed to each other. On the night of my thirteenth birthday, our grandfathers gave us our own place to live and told us that we were to mate that very night."

"I remember thinking about it for a while and thinking that it was a horrible idea. My mother had always told me that I should love a male before I ever even think of mating him. And, well I did love Kouga, but just not in that way. He was my best friend, of course I loved him."

"Needless to say, Kouga was completely against it. He spent the first few minutes in our new home ranting about how his grandfather didn't have the right to control this particular part of his life. I agreed, and told him what my mother told me. He was quiet after that, for a long time. And when he finally spoke, he asked me if I loved him. I told him I did, but not enough to mate with him. When I asked him, he basically said the same thing."

"Later that night we planned to escape from this fate, and we left while everyone was sleeping. We made it as far as a nearby youkai port, when he told me that we needed to go our separate ways. I remember exactly what his words were," she said as she closed her eyes and thought about that night.

**Flashback**

Fifteen-year-old Kouga stood hand in hand with Ayame on a random dock at the port. Ayame was looking around, watching as some of the ships swayed silently in the water.

"Aya-chan…" Kouga whispered. When she turned to look at him his eyes were glowing crystal blue in the moonlight. The rest of his face was relatively dark.

"We have to split up. We can't escape this if we're together."

"Nani?" she whispered back, a little confused. Her eyes were glowing a beautiful green color in the dark, her red hair covered by a black scarf.

"Why? I don't want to go out there by myself. I've never been anywhere by myself before."

Kouga sighed, closing his eyes and griping her hand a bit harder. "I know, but we have to. What if we end up falling in love one day? That would just be letting our grandfathers win, and I thought that's what we were trying to get away from!"

"Kouga-kun… I'm scared…" she responded as she started to cry.

Kouga sighed and opened his arms out to the girl, who immediately ran into them, burring her face in his chest. Her arms wrapped around his middle and her hands gripped the cloth of his shirt tightly. He leaned down a bit to rest his chin atop her head, rubbing her back in small circles with his hands.

"Aya-chan please don't cry," he whispered, already feeling tears well up in his own eyes. But he was determined to not let one fall.

"I don't want to leave Kouga-kun and go by myself! Kouga-kun's my best friend!" she cried, getting tears on his shirt.

The boy pulled her head up, forcing her to look at him. His hands cupped each of her cheeks and he rested his forehead on hers.

"Aya-chan, I really do love you very much… you are my best and only friend. But this is for the best. You don't really want to be mated to a guy like me anyway. You deserve much better," he said with a sad smile. He used his thumb to wipe her tears away, and then he picked her up bridal style, and leaped onto one of the ships.

He walked around silently, searching for a good place to hide his best friend. He found one behind a bunch of barrels, and he sat her down there. When he stood to leave, she held onto the sleeve of his shirt.

"Kouga-kun, please don't go… Stay with me until I fall asleep?" she pleaded.

The boy sighed once more and sat down next to the girl. She climbed into his lap, and rested her head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her and rocked back and forth, knowing that the motion easily put her to sleep.

Ayame looked up to Kouga with tears in her eyes once more. "I love you Kouga-kun. You're my best friend."

He smiled down at her, then kissed her forehead. "I know. Go to sleep Aya-chan."

As she drifted off to sleep, the last memories she had were of his scent, his warmth, and the sound of his heartbeat.

When she awoke the next morning, he was gone and the ship had already set sail.

**End flashback**

"Oh Ayame," Kagome whispered as she held her friend.

"The next time I saw him was here… I told him that I wasn't trying to pull him back into the life his grandfather set for him, but he didn't believe me. He hated me from that point on… or so it seemed," she said as she sat up and pulled away from Kagome.

"It… it really hurt…"

Kagome stared at her friend for a long time.

She couldn't help but wonder if this was the way Inuyasha had felt when she had rejected him three years ago.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew.

That was exactly how he felt.

**Oofie: "Yesh, I know it's sad, but you guys will get over it… Hopefully…"**

**Kagome: "Oh wow…"**

**Inuyasha: "I can't believe you made us have sex… I can't believe it…"**

**Oofie: "Hey, it's not like I forced you, in the story you liked it. I think you'd like it even if I hadn't wrote it anyway."**

**Kagome: "OOFIE!"**

**Oofie: "Nande!? You know it's true!"**

**Inuyasha: ". . ."**

**Oofie: "Why so speechless Inu-kun? Is it cause… You know I'm right!"**

**Inuyasha: "Keh, no."**

**Oofie: "Oh really? So it wouldn't interest you at all if Kagome just magically said 'Inuyasha will you please make love to me?'"**

**Inuyasha: "Not at all."**

**Oofie: "…" types furiously on her keyboard.**

**Kagome: "Inuyasha! Please, I'm begging you! Make love to me!"**

**Inuyasha faints from a nosebleed.**

**Oofie: "MWAHAHAHAHA! So is the power of the author!"**

**Kagome: "I can't believe you just made me say that…"**

**Oofie: "Yeah… but still, the look on his face was priceless. But meh, we gotta get on to the reviews!"**

**Kagome fans Inuyasha with her hands "Yeah, here are the replies to the reviews!"**

**Review Replies:**

_KagsYasha_: OH MAH GOSH! YOU WERE RIGHT! Lol, they did have sex. I love it when I'm so obvious that my readers can guess when I'm gonna include a lemon… or maybe you just have like a sixth sense? Yeah, I normally respond to my reviews in the order that I get them, which is why you were first. But sine you liked being first so much, I put you first again just to make you happy! See, I'm a nice person! Heh, thankos muchos for the review!

_Inuyasha'sChic_: Well… there ya go! Kouga has begun to stop pretending! Maybe they'll have a better relationship or something? I can't say, it'd ruin the story. And oh yes, mad about Ryu, Kouga was. I really wanted to show how strong Kouga was this chapter, so I did! Yay Kouga! Thankos Muchos for the review!

_Shichinintai's girl_: WOO! Thank you! I love it when a reader loves mah story! Lol. Ya know, a lot of people love InuKag lemons… I think it's obvious why they like them, but wow, there really are a lot of fans. I hope my InuKag lemon did it for ya, cause I'm not the best lemon writer, so… meh. I'm working on the whole Ayame/Kouga thing, as you can see. And as for whom I want to kill… IT'S A SECRET! But I can safely say it will seriously tick off some of the main characters if I do it… Thanks for the review; you've boosted my ego!

_MoonDemoness468_: Heh, thanks! Yes, men are like chocolate… except for the albino one's who are like milk chocolate… No, I'm kidding. Lol, everybody wanted an InuKag lemon. Well, I can't blame you because this _is_ an InuKag fic, so… yeah. Yup, one thing I can definitely tell you is that Inuyasha will be Pirate king. And the best part… HE'S GONNA FIND OUT NEXT CHAPTER!!! Woo! Lol, I'm excited because I've been waiting for this part of the story since I figured out that I was going to write it! I can only hope that you're gonna like it as much as I do. Thankos muchos for the review, and yes I will update as soon as Oofie-ly possible! Lol

_LoVe23_: Oh my wow. When I was thinking about chapter 6 and the whole Kouga/Ayame thing, I came up with what's right here. And then I read your review and I was like "Whoa… Déjà vu!" It's like you're in my head! You have got to be like my long lost twin or something, because you've got Oofie-vision, and the ability to read my mind! Or maybe it's just a case of 'Great minds think alike'? And thanks for the compliment. I just can't help it; you're quickly becoming one of my favorite readers!

_Sheveen_: lol, it's kinda funny. They already love each other, just not the way inu and kags do, ya know? But we'll see. Kouga and Ayame will most definitely work on their relationship. As for whether or not they fall in love like I-wanna-spend-the-rest-of-my-life-with-you love, we shall see… About killing Inu or Kags, eh I thought about it. Still thinking about. To be honest, I can't see myself doing that, but it's still a possibility. (But don't worry, it's likely not to happen). How'd you like the lemon? I've been told I'm not too great at that kinda stuff, so I'm just wondering. Thankos muchos, your review has boosted my ego!

_Miko In Training_: Lol, lots of people are lemon people! I love all kinds of citrus to be honest. Lol, yeah Ayame king of keeps him in line whether they are together or not, but I think she could do it easily if they were together. I'm a big fan of the Kouga/Ayame pairing, so they just might get over their problems, but I can't tell you! It'd ruin the story! As for killing people off… I'm undecided! Please don't be mad! Lol, thankos muchos for the review! And I agree, Inuyasha and Kagome forever!!!!

**Oofie: "Well ladies and gents, I believe that's it for this chapter! Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to go help Kagome revive poor Inu-kins… ciao!"**


	7. Her Past His Future

**Oofie: "Oh goodie goodie, yet another chappie I can put up!"**

**Inuyasha: "And yet another that **_**I**_** have to suffer through…"**

**Kagome: "Oh come on Inuyasha. You know you enjoy your time here with us."**

**Oofie: "Eh, don't push him too hared to admit it, he might explode."**

**Kagome: "Yeah…"**

**Inuyasha: "What the fuck…?"**

**Oofie: "Anywho, I sorry I couldn't post this sooner, it took me a long time to write and I was writing it whilst something pretty… difficult was happening to me."**

**Kagome: "What happened…?"**

**Oofie sighs, and kicks at the ground nonchalantly.**

**Oofie: "My boyfriend and I broke up."**

**Kagome: "OH NO!"**

**Oofie: "Oh yes."**

**Inuyasha: "Keh, just pick yourself up and move on."**

**Oofie looks at Inuyasha with angry eyes.**

**Oofie: "Two things, Inuyasha. Primero, I don't care that we broke up anymore. Segundo, that is such hypocritical advice coming from **_**you**_**."**

**Inuyasha: "What's that supposed to mean?"**

**Oofie: "Um, hello? The whole Kikyo scenario!"**

**Inuyasha: "T-That doesn't count!"**

**Oofie: "Yeah… sure… KAGOME?"**

**Kagome: "Yes?"  
**

**Oofie: "Disclaimer."**

**Kagome: "M'kay! Oofie does not own me, or Inuyasha, or anything else that was made by Takahashi Sensei!"**

**Oofie: "Yeah… and here be the new vocabulary, and just a little side note."**

**Vocabulary:**

**Ohayou - "Good morning."**

**Ozoke - fear, scared**

**Fukuo - depression, sadness**

**Tenkyou - craziness, madness**

**Mouretsu - rage**

**Side note - It is said that when a person sneezes with no cause, somebody is talking about them behind their back.**

**Inuyasha: "Yeah, now it's time to start the chapter. Go ahead, read!"**

* * *

**Her Past, His Future**

Kikyo stood at the top of the stairs in her mother's home, watching her younger sister intently. The younger Higurashi daughter had not yet noticed that anyone else was in the house as she walked around the moderately sized room.

She set her hat and bag down on the table and pushed all the hair from her face, inhaling and exhaling deeply. The miko let her hair fall back down, not caring that it was messy and still damp from her trip to the baths. Kikyo could not help but to notice how… unlady like her younger sister was. She was the exact opposite of what most people thought a miko should be, thanks to this pirating business.

She continued to watch as Kagome smiled, her eyes closed as the corners of her mouth turned upward.

How sad… 

"Imouto?" Kikyo called out to the Captain.

Kagome looked up in surprise at her older sister and smiled. "Ohayou Kiki-nee!" she greeted.

Kikyo walked down the stairs to approach her sister and straighten her collar. "You silly thing, it's already past midday."

"Oh… well, this is normally 'morning' for me," she replied, scratching her head a little. "Is mama around?"

"Ah, no she's gone. She went shopping, Grandfather went with her. Souta-kun is gone also, he's out somewhere with that Kohaku boy, probably getting himself into trouble as they always do."

"Well, he is turning sixteen soon. Really, he wants to join my crew, like Kohaku-kun has done with Sango, and technically he's old enough to make his own decisions…"

"Kagome-chan… are you really going to let Souta join your crew? It's so dangerous, and I don't care about his deal with mother, once he turns sixteen he shouldn't be allowed to leave the island!" Kikyo said, raising her voice a little.

Kagome looked at he sister with her arms folded in front of her. "Kikyo… I know it can be frightening, but if it's what he wants we can't stop him…"

"Well we should! He's much too young, and—"

"He's much older than I was," Kagome spoke up. "And although my experience was frightening, I came out of it better than when I went in. Besides, the situation is completely different then mine was. It's a lot safer now."

Kikyo couldn't look her sister in the eye. She knew that Kagome had a point but inside she still didn't want Souta to go. She had experienced the loss of one sibling to that damned life, and she didn't want to lose another. When she finally looked into the younger woman's eyes, it was clear what was going through her mind.

"Don't… don't do that," Kagome said sternly. "Don't judge me based on what happened. I'm still me, granted I'm a bit more knowledgeable on the cruelty of people, but I'm still the same person."

Kikyo said nothing, but crossed her arms in front of her chest and looked away. Kagome knew she was being tuned out and ignored. She didn't want this to happen _again_. She took hold of her older sister's jaw and forced her to look her as she spoke.

"Despite what you think, I'm not some tainted thing that you have to feel pity for," she said, her voice low and threatening. "I may have gone through and witnessed things that mikos were never meant to, but I still have value. I'm still worth something. I'm still as useful as you are, I'm still equal to you, and I am still your sister. Don't look down on me that way."

Kikyo shook off her sister's hand and turned away from her, heading towards the kitchen. Knowing her, she was probably going to go cook something so she could forget all about what Kagome had said to her.

The younger miko sat down upon the table with a sigh, leaning over to rest her elbows on her knees as she listened to the sounds of Kikyo moving around in the kitchen.

"Maybe coming here wasn't the brightest idea," she mumbled to herself. She had originally come to tell her mother that she'd be leaving sooner than expected, since she had a feeling in the back of her mind that Midoriko was building the strength within her body to make another connection between this world and the next. She figured that sitting here for a while wouldn't be all too bad, so she pulled out a few papers from her bag and examined them.

She still hadn't had the time to go through all of the papers this Onigumo man had collected on her, and now was as good at time as any. She skimmed over the first few pages, some of it was on her appearance, some of it on her fighting style and what qualities she had as a captain (which were surprisingly accurate). One page caught her eye though, and she couldn't help but to read the words written in curvy handwriting on the paper.

**Mouretsu and the Death of Takuso Akisuke**

It was titled. She closed her eyes and just breathed for a moment. When she opened them all she could see were her steady hands holding the crinkled paper.

She read again.

_**Takuso Akisuke was an extremely well known youkai pirate that was most famous for his lust and ruthlessness for women (especially young women) and the careless way he slaughtered people. He was feared by many powerful people, youkai and human alike, and it was said that he was the reincarnation of the devil himself. **_

_**Another well-known thing about him is that he was killed by one of the young women he tortured and held captive.**_

_**It is said that Takuso had raided a port village and there he demanded his crew look for two things: the most valuable treasures of silver and gold they could find, and the village's most beautiful young girls. Both were taken in the middle of the night, and many innocent people were killed to obtain them. **_

_**The crew piled the treasures onto the ship, and they lined the girls up to be inspected by the captain. Once the man looked the nine girls over, he decided that only four of them would satisfy his needs, so he took them and locked them within his chambers. The other five were divided up amongst the crew for whatever purposes they wanted to use them for. Within the next three days, the five unwanted girls were dead.**_

_**The four wanted girls were kept in Takuso's cabin to serve his own needs. It is said that he never called them by name, but by the emotion they most displayed in front of him.**_

_**The first girl he broke he named Ozoke, because she broke through fear.**_

_**The second girl to break under his torture he named Fukuo, because she broke under depression. **_

_**The third girl to break he named Tenkyou, because she lost her mind when she was broken.**_

_**These three were tossed aside as soon as they broke, because after that they shown no emotions for the beast Takuso to feed his desires with. After he finished with them, his crew had their way, then when they lost their usefulness they were killed, or died of their own accord.**_

_**There was one last girl that Takuso had. This particular girl he named Mouretsu.**_

_**Mouretsu shown no emotion but anger towards the man, and she became his instant favorite. **_

_**Mouretsu never broke.**_

_**Her screams were not of agony, cowardice, or craziness like the others. Her screams were of anger and fury, full of curses and swear. She never cried, her eyes never grew wide in fear, or had the vacancy of a lunatic. Her eyes held a want for his blood, the need to have her revenge upon him, to see him squirm as he had made her companions do in his spare time. **_

_**Mouretsu would be the death of Takuso Akisuke. **_

_**Because she fought back, the tyrant captain constantly beat Mouretsu; therefore the cabin boys, who were pretty handy with medicines, tended to her wounds. It is said that she befriended them, along with a few other crewmembers. They showed her compassion, and tried to help her whenever they could. Takuso began letting her out of his cabin at nigh when he hadn't the time to have fun with her. She took this time to talk to and befriend even more of the crew, but she spent most of the time with the twin cabin boys, who were more or less her age. **_

_**Takuso caught onto this eventually, and he became infuriated that she was spending time with other males. So, one night his torture of her became even more brutal. Her screams and wails could be heard all around the ship that night…**_

_"Mouretsu," Takuso called in his deep crackling voice. His tone would have made any other girl shiver. But not her. Not his dearest Mouretsu, so full of fury and hatred that she dare not even fantasize of having the luxury of being scared. No, she wouldn't let herself be afraid of this dark-haired behemoth. Not this rotten beast!_

_He looked at the near naked girl that lay in the middle of his floor. She had nothing but two pieces of rag cloth wrapped around her chest and waist to keep her decency. Her back sported a number of cuts and bruises, all smeared over with dried blood mixed with fresh. Her dark hair was pulled into a braid that was just about to come loose due to the yanking and pulling he had done to it. _

_"Damn it Mouretsu! Look at me when I speak to you!" he roared, then lashed out his whip once again. It cracked against her skin with a sickening sound and her voice screamed out in pain. All the screaming she had done, all the curses she had shrieked at him, and he'd never once heard her voice go hoarse._

_She still lay on the floor, not letting herself do as he demanded._

_This angered Takuso, just as much as it excited him. But on this night he was seeking more than just his own pleasures. On this night, he needed her to suffer. He needed to teach her not to associate herself with other males. Not while she belonged to him. _

_He stomped over to her near limp body and dragged it upwards by the dark woven hair. She hissed at the pain, but it was minimal considering the pain of all her other injuries. _

_Takuso turned the girl's head to face him and he looked into those dark brown eyes of rage. There was no other way to put it. He got off on those eyes. It was a feeling only she could give him. _

_He threw her onto his bed with such a force that she bounced a few feet into the air after hitting the mattress. He wiped his mouth, then slipped out of his already open shirt and unbuckled his belt, leaving it hanging in the loops. Then he took two long strides over to the bed and climbed on top of the girl._

_He looked down at her. She would not look at him. He took her face into his large hand and squeezed hard while staring into her eyes. It was almost as if he was hoping they'd pop out of her head with the force he was putting on her. _

_The anger in her eyes only increased, the powers of her gaze sent a chill down his spine. Something was wrong… something was different this time._

_Mouretsu shut her eyes tightly and Takuso felt a burning heat on his hand and every other place where their bodies touched. He yanked himself back from her, tumbling down off the bed._

_The girl began to glow a bright white, emitting energy and heat that filled the room instantly, then suddenly all light was gone except for a rim of glow around her body. She stood on the bed and moved closer to the pirate who stood also. He was determined to show her who was in charge, who she belonged to. _

_He took two steps closer to her and several white-hot strips of energy flew from her body to cut him in numerous places on his body. The largest cut severed his leg at the middle of his shin, and he keeled over to grab for a limb that was no longer there._

_He began to scream as she descended on him, when she hit him the burning cut through his skin like paper. They were both covered in his blood when he began to fight back, toughing it out as he punched her square in the head._

_The light vanished from her and she fell backwards, hitting the floor. She had returned to her normal self, but now that Mouretsu had seen him in his vulnerable state, all she could think of was revenge. She ran to him and sent a flying kick into his side. _

_Takuso grunted, but grabbed her leg and tripped her. He swiped at her legs with his claws, drawing yet more blood from her as she yelped. The girl desperately searched the cabin, looking for a way to defend herself. She spotted it hanging on the wall above the fireplace in the form of a sword. _

_Thinking quickly, she doubled over and grabbed one of Takuso's arms, plunging the flesh into her mouth and biting down savagely, taking a huge chunk with her. He howled in pain and let go of her leg long enough for her to jump up and spit his flesh from her mouth. She took long quick steps to the fireplace as he got up from his position and she jumped onto the ledge. She held herself up long enough to grab the sword, then felt something yank her around her stomach. _

_Takuso took her and slammed her onto the wooden floor. She screamed once more in pain, feeling as though her head had split open and her brain had shattered like glass, but her rage soon replaced the feeling when she sat up and rammed the blade into his chest. _

_At first Takuso looked down in surprise and she thought she had come out victorious, but he just extended his arm and hit her again. She did manage to hang onto the sword and keep it lodged into his chest after the blow, and she tackled him down to the floor. _

_"Gyah!" he grunted when his head hit the floor. "Mouretsu—!" he began, but for the first time that night, she yelled words at him, instead of just screams of rage._

_"My name isn't Mouretsu! IT'S KAGOME!" she shrieked, then turned the blade violently in his chest cavity and forced all of her miko into the metal, sending wave after wave of her power though his body. _

_His screams of agony and pain were heard all through out the ship as he lived his last few moments in pain and suffering as he had caused so many to do. _

_Then all was quiet. Kagome stopped feeding her miko into the sword, and all but collapsed onto the slain youkai. She was covered in a mixture of their blood and all that kept her from falling over was leaning on the blade still lodged in between his ribs and straight through his heart._

Kagome dropped the paper as her memories tore through her without an ounce of sympathy for her emotional or mental state. Her hands trembled in anger as she remembered that foul beast and his cruelty.

Her reminiscent state only continued as she thought of the shocked faces of the crew once she had appeared below deck, covered in blood and wrapped n rags, a bloodied sword in one hand, Takuso's severed head in the other.

She informed them of what she had done and announced that according to piracy custom, she was now captain of the ship. The young miko told each and every man and boy on that boat that if they had an issue with this, they could take it up with her personally. She emphasized this by tossing the man's bloodied severed head onto the table in the center of the room.

Of course a few men had opposed to letting a mere eleven-year-old girl become their new leader, and she remembered hacking them down in much the same way she had done Takuso, but with a lot less effort involved. She held no emotion as she pushed the corpses of the opposed into the sea.

It would take her a full nine months to be able to feel any emotion other than rage again.

Another four to be able to even attempt to cry.

Plus two to get rid of the nightmares.

A month later she would be asked to join the Goten no Kaizoku.

She would accept, of course.

She would meet the man (at that time, the boy) who would heal her.

* * *

**Something You Should Know:**

If you call her Mouretsu now, don't apologize. Just run.

Not that it would help you any.

* * *

The three youkai and the hanyou of the Goten no Kaizoku walked down the beach of the island, the sun shining bright in the late hours of the morning. They all had taken their shoes off to enjoy the feeling of the sand between their toes. Even the stoic inu youkai.

Sesshomaru and Ayame walked a little ways ahead, chatting about this and that. Inuyasha waited until he knew his brother had Ayame's attention completely away before he spoke.

"You did it yet?" he asked, not turning his head to look at the other male.

"Kind of," Kouga responded with a sigh.

"What do you mean kind of? You either apologized, or you didn't."

Kouga growled a little at the ridicule hidden in Inuyasha's voice.

"I said I was sorry. But she wants to talk to me. I… I have no idea what the hell I'm going to say…"

Inuyasha looked towards the youkai to his left for the first time since the four of them started their journey.

"Well, I suppose there isn't much you can say mate. You've basically killed whatever friendship you guys might of hand and spit on it's grave many a time. What _is_ there to say?"

Kouga glared at the other male through squinted eyes. "I really hate you sometimes."

"Yeah, I know. You'll grow out of it eventually," the hanyou said playfully as he pushed at Kouga's shoulder with his knuckles.

"Don't act all old and wise. Let's not forget, I'm your senior by two years."

"Sure thing, senior," the teen smirked, folding his hands behind his head as he walked. "So you want me to get rid of Sessh for you afterwards? I'm sure you'll need all the time to fix things with Ayame that you can get."

"Please and thank you."

"Keh."

Sesshomaru turned to look at the two younger males walking behind him, giving Ayame a start at the sudden movements.

"Are you over zealous dolts ready?" he asked, his voice still as emotionless as ever.

"Keh, just go mark the finish already," the younger inu responded. He shoved his hands into his pockets and kicked at the sand, not paying any mind to the look of aggravation gracing his brother's features.

Sesshomaru wordlessly turned and walked up the beach towards the thick patch of trees down wind from them. He disappeared within the massive green bulk, leaving the three others behind to wait.

Ayame glanced between the two males ineptly, not used to the silence between the two.

"So… any of you want to go over the rules with me again?" she inquired, trying to strike up a conversation.

Inuyasha simply sighed, and shrugged his shoulders while Kouga stayed silent and looked out towards the waves.

"Even though we've told you a million times already, I guess since it's your first time we could go over it again…" Inuyasha started, looking towards Kouga for support. When the ookami made it apparent that he was ignoring the two of them (probably trying to figure out what he'd say to Ayame later) the hanyou sighed yet again.

"Okay, so you, me, and this idgit here are going to be having a foot race," he started. "We start from here and keep at it up until the place Sesshomaru marked up the beach and around this bend. You can only use your natural speed and agility, no potions or any other such things to make you go any faster."

"There are two races. The first is between us three. The second is between the winner of this one and Sesshomaru, seeing as he won the race the last time we did it. The winner of that race will be crowned fastest youkai captain until next race, where they'll defend their title. Sesshomaru's going to send us a signal in the air, first a white light, then a black one. The white one means get in place. The black one means go. That's all there is to it really…" he trailed off, scratching his head and looking at Kouga who appeared to be nervous as hell. Thinking about what came after their annual race was really starting to stress him out.

"That seems simple enough," Ayame smiled, completely ignoring Kouga's discomfort. Inuyasha had a hunch she could sense it though.

A white light shone across the sky for about three seconds, signaling them to get in their starting positions. Kouga stood in a lunge, his muscles tense as he faced forward. Ayame was in a crouch, her hands sitting about a foot in front of her two bare feet. Inuyasha simply stood their, leaning his torso forward a bit with his arms dangling at his sides.

The second the trio saw the black flash in the sky they sprinted forward, leaving clouds of sand in their wake.

Kouga immediately shot to the front, his natural speed jutting him past Inuyasha and Ayame. It always happened this way; Kouga was always in front in the first couple seconds, his initial push forward propelling him past everyone.

However, as they got closer to the bend on the beach, the three of them leveled out. Kouga was indeed fast, but he tended to put his vigor all into the first part of the race. By the time they reached the middle, he and Inuyasha always ended up neck and neck. As for Ayame, she was doing pretty well. She was just a hair behind the two speed demons, pumping her strong ookami legs faster until she was in between the two testosterone filled males.

The three of them looked like a few wild canines chasing after their next meal.

Here was the make or break point of the entire race. The turn. This particular angular part of the beach normally indicated the winner of the race. One sharp move, or one equally flawed one, could put you in the lead, or keep you far form it.

As they advanced on the corner Kouga found a new burst of energy and propelled him faster. Ayame saw this and panicked a bit, driving herself to go faster. She left Inuyasha in the dust while trying to catch Kouga.

The male ookami was two seconds away from the turn when he figured out he was going a bit too quickly to make a nice clean turn, but by that time it was too late. His legs carried him out to the outskirts of the sand, turning his body only bit by bit while never losing his pace.

Unfortunately, Ayame only figured out that she was going too fast for such a turn at the last possible moment, when she was attempting to make it and instead tripped over her own to feet. Sadly Kouga was near her when she made her mistake, which turned his own into an unfixable problem when she collided into him. They both went soaring into the waves, making a big splash as the two of them hit the water.

Inuyasha slowed down as he made the corner, trying hard to keep in his laughter. He couldn't resist turning his body and trotting backwards so he could watch the two ookami break the surface of the water with sputtering gasps and swears. He turned back around from the hilarious sight to look for the bright silver head of his brother. When he located it some ways up the beach he shifted from the breaks to the gas, pumping his long muscled legs harder than when he had competition.

He was certainly a sight to see with his unique style of running. When he ran, he didn't pump his arms along with his legs, but let them jut out from his shoulders in a diagonal tangent from his body. He always kept his torso low, making him more aerodynamic. His shirt flapped open against the wind, still being unbuttoned from when Kagome handed it back to him that morning, and his long thick silver hair blew in the wind behind him, his bangs pushed from his face by the wind.

He finally skidded to a stop next to his brother, grabbing for the older male's shoulder to completely halt himself. Sesshomaru looked at his brother with the all to familiar expression of annoyance at the contact, which Inuyasha responded to by pounding him hard on the back.

"Good race huh?" he laughed.

"Indeed," Sesshomaru said, peeling his brother's hand from his back. "Ah, and here come the drowned rats."

Inuyasha looked up and had to bite his lip to keep from laughing.

The two youkai just refused to give up as they sprinted towards the brothers, pushing and shoving to get ahead. If Inuyasha hadn't know that they had been on speaking terms again, he might have felt the need to separate them based on the feral growls they emitted.

When they finally reached the finish line they both practically fell to their knees, panting and sweating… or maybe that was just the seawater dripping off of them? Ayame laid flat on her back while she caught her breath, Kouga sat back on his legs.

"Oi, Ayame. I was always told that female youkai are the most graceful creatures on the planet, so don't take it the wrong way when I ask, what the fuck?" Inuyasha asked, squatting down next to her and peeling a piece of seaweed from her hair.

"Sh-Shut up I-Inuyasha…" she managed to get out between breaths.

"Why are you both breathing so heavily?" Sesshomaru questioned as he arched an eyebrow at them.

Kouga answered his question with a loud belch, followed with a few coughs and a disgusting lurch as a ton of seawater exploded from his mouth. Inuyasha jumped back as his friend puked up the contents of his lungs, gasping for air afterwards. Ayame simply put her hand up to keep it from splashing in her face.

"Ugh, that's why. Oi you didn't really run all the way here with that much water in you, right?" he asked, standing back up.

Kouga's breathing evened out a bit before he answered. "Well I couldn't just stop the race because I couldn't breathe."

"You have got to be shitting me…"

"You could have died numbskull," Sesshomaru spoke up with his arms crossed.

Ayame chucked a pebble at Kouga and it hit him right in between his eyes.

"Baka!" she exclaimed, sitting up. "Don't put so much strain on yourself!"

"You're one to talk! You swallowed just as much water as I did, and you hit your head! I'm surprised you ain't barfing up whatever you ate for breakfast!" Kouga retaliated.

Sesshomaru sighed. "You two should grow up."

"Yeah!"

"So should you, brother."

"Keh, go fuck yourself," the hanyou said, and then made a face at his brother with his tongue sticking out.

Sesshomaru shook his head at his brother. "Act your age."

"Never," Inuyasha smirked, then yanked his brother's hat from his head and placed it on his own. "Acting my age is boring."

Sesshomaru made an attempt to grab his hat from his brother, but Inuyasha bent backwards, keeping the hat just out of the youkai's reach.

"Hey Sessh, tell ya what. How about you and I race now, and winner gets the hat? What do you say to that?"

"I say you're out of luck little brother," Sesshomaru said just before taking off down the beach with full speed.

"That little fuck!" Inuyasha swore as he sprinted down the sand filled strip of land to catch up with his older brother.

Kouga and Ayame simply watched the two silver blurs whiz down the beach, approaching the same bend that they had both screwed up on.

"They're so cute…" Ayame thought aloud as she pulled her hair out of the two normal pigtails she always wore.

"Uh… right…" the male said, not quite sure how to respond to her comment. A silence followed his words and he watched her ring her hair out onto the sand next to her. She shook her head and her hair flung tiny water droplets everywhere. He was hit with them, but he didn't really mind.

"So… you uh, wanted to talk?" Kouga spoke up, desperately hoping his voice wasn't cracking.

Ayame turned towards her old friend and gazed at him through emerald orbs.

"Yeah… let's talk."

* * *

Inuyasha slouched in his normal seat in the meeting room with his arms crossed; glaring holes through the new table Miroku had managed to get them. He still hadn't buttoned up his shirt, and his hair was still down like before. One of his legs sat stiffly outstretched underneath the table, the other he had bent with his foot on the chair. You did not need to have youkai hearing to take notice of his deep growling.

Kagome sat in a different seat today, sitting next to Sango in the chair farthest right to Inuyasha. "What's his problem?"

"No clue," Sango said and shrugged her shoulders.

Sesshomaru sat next to Kagome at the head of the table. He nudged her with his elbow, and when she turned to face him he actually had a small smile on his face.

It freaked her out.

But he kept smiling, and then adjusted the hat on his head.

"It's a marvelous hat, isn't it? It just recently became my favorite this morning. What do you think?" he asked, posing for her.

Kagome was flustered by the sudden change in demeanor in Sesshomaru, and just barely managed to force out the word "Lovely."

Inuyasha's growling grew deeper in pitch, and louder in volume.

"Did… did we miss something?"

"We most definitely did Kagome-sama," Miroku said, eyeing the two inu. He sat across from Sango, one seat over from Sesshomaru, and another from Inuyasha. "I'd like to know, where are our two Ookami friends?"

"Maybe still at the beach. It's possible that they're killing each other," Sesshomaru said, the strange smile still upon his lips.

Kagome's eyebrows shot up in shock, which didn't go unnoticed by our little hanyou friend.

"Yeah, killing each other…" she muttered, a small smile gracing her features. If the hanyou at the table's end didn't know that she had talked to Ayame earlier, then he might have thought the look on her face was sort of sadistic.

_Hmmm, sadistic Kagome… somehow, that seems kind of—_

"Sorry we're late!" Ayame shouted as she and Kouga busted through the door. Ayame took a seat between Sango and Inuyasha, and Kouga took the one opposite her, filling the chair between Miroku and the silver-haired teen.

"Hm," said Miroku, as he looked Kouga over. "You don't appear to have _any_ injuries, let alone fatal ones."

Kouga looked at him in confusion. "Nande?"

Miroku opened his mouth but Sango cut him off. "Anyway, we need to start making plans like we agreed we'd do yesterday. When we finally find out who this Pirate King is, we need to have some sort of strategy for defeating this Onigumo."

"We undeniably need something like what Sango is talking about," Sesshomaru said, the smile finally falling from his face.

"I say, once we've got this King guy, we set our sights straight for Naraku. We take out the problem now and fast. Simple," Kouga said as he leaned forward in his chair.

Inuyasha shook his head. "No, it wouldn't be that easy. Come on, if we could just go up to him and take him out, then we wouldn't need this Pirate King now would we?"

"He makes a valid point," Miroku said as he stroked his chin. "You're thinking a lot about this Inuyasha. So I'm curious. What do _you_ think we should do?"

"Me? I think that it'd be smart to secure this place with even more protection than we have, then we need to take off and visit some of the places this guy Onigumo is most famous in. But in pairs. I got this feeling that we need to have each other's back's. The only problem with that is that we're odd numbered…" he paused to look around at everyone at the table, and felt a little awkward the way they were staring at him.

"Nani?"

"Nothing, continue brother," Sesshomaru said.

"Okay…" he said slowly. He folded his hands on the table in front of him and refocused himself to obtain his original train of thought once more.

"Then, as inconspicuously as possible, we need to gather up information on him. We need to know his weak points, his strong points, who he associates with, his catch and bag record, his legal and illegal connections, everything. But we can't take forever doing it. We don't want him to make his move before us, so we've got to put a time limit on our research. If he does make a move before we do, then we have to just find a way to work around it."

"Next we can start taking him down from the inside out. Start taking out his connections, and attack the things that make him most powerful. Then when he's down to our level, we can confront him head on. Really, if what makes him powerful are the things at his disposal like I think, then he won't be a tough opponent in a fair fight. Not that we exactly plan to fight fair all the time."

Inuyasha tapped his fingers on the table, staring at his knuckles. He was mulling over the brief summary of his plan, wondering if he'd left anything out.

"But… you know, this Pirate King guy probably has better idea's than I do," he sighed, leaning back in his chair. "Let's just let him decide."

The table was silent for a while as they all looked at Inuyasha.

"You've been thinking about this a lot, haven't you Inuyasha?" Ayame asked, leaning her head over the table to look at him.

Inuyasha closed his eyes and stretched his arms out over his head nonchalantly. "Keh, not really. I mean, not any more than any of you guys have I'm sure."

"Indeed…" Sesshomaru mumbled.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha called, leaning over to get a good look at her. "Oi, what's wrong with her?"

At Inuyasha's words the entire table's attention shifted to Kagome, who'd been silent for quite a while. She was rounded over in her chair with her head hanging just centimeters away from the tabletop, her dark hair hiding her face like curtains.

Sesshomaru reached a hand out to touch her shoulder, but hissed and brought it back the moment it made contact. He looked at his hand, hiding his surprise at the burn mark on his fingertips.

Inuyasha's eyes grew wide in realization, and he immediately got up from his chair. "Sesshomaru get away from her!"

The youkai had only just gotten out of his seat when she began glowing light pink once more and the light began seeping away from the room, starting at the corners and heading inward. Ayame and Kouga both scrambled out of their chairs too, backing up against the wall where the darkness swallowed them, to avoid contact with the miko's aura which grew brighter by the second. Sesshomaru also backed against the wall where he could no longer be seen, standing as close to the bookshelf as he could and as far from Kagome's glowing body as well. Miroku and Sango backed away, ending up on the wall opposite Ayame and Kouga where they too were covered by the dark seeping into the room. They were more frightened of the objects that might start flying in the air than the power of her aura.

Inuyasha watched Kagome's beautiful form, realizing that he too had to back away eventually. However he only made two careful slow steps back when complete and utter darkness enveloped the room and all sound was extinguished like the lights. Even the sound of his own heavy breathing was vacant from his ears.

The atmosphere abruptly declined in temperature and he was sure that if he could see, he'd find small clouds of warm breath emanating from his own parted lips. He looked around uncomfortably, having a strange feeling about what was about to happen.

Inuyasha's ears perked up when her heard a familiar voice floating towards him through the dark, cutting through the silence like a hot knife through butter.

"At last onto you what our Queen had known will be revealed," said the voice. He recognized it as Kagome's, but it seemed so distant that it was hardly recognizable at all.

"Midoriko had been on her way to the isle where unknown to her,

Death would seize her,

When she had her vision of what was to come to pass.

Starring at the unusually calm surface of the sea reflecting the sky of stars,

She slipped into a dream like state.

And her vision began…"

He listened as her words seem to become smaller and smaller, and suddenly his vision turned a deep dark blue. Being a pirate, he could recognize the color anywhere and immediately realized that what he was seeing was in fact the ocean.

Without having to turn his head, his vision darted upward where he could see the surface of the water and the night taking over the day above it as the sky turned a dark hue. Suddenly, he broke the surface of the water, and his line of sight kept heading upward towards the sky. He could see an island in his peripheral vision, and his eyes immediately darted to it. He was a bit startled when he heard Kagome's voice coming from somewhere inside his head, almost feeling like they were his own thoughts and not her voice.

"This is the isle where she would meet her fate…" she paused as if waiting for something. It was a silence almost unreal as a bullet whizzed past him, and his vision immediately revolved around to see a ship floating in the water quite a distance away from the island. Beyond that, he saw a large number of ships, but something told him to focus on the one farthest from him.

"When the Queen had this vision, she immediately knew what was happening.

It was as if the story was somewhere deep inside her,

Like a memory long forgotten.

She knew that what she was seeing was some ways into the future,

In other words, our present.

And she knew that on that very ship was an enemy so great and powerful

That only one pirate could defeat him.

Only one pirate out of them all could conquer this beast.

She knew that on the ship closest to the horizon

Was the only man worthy enough to be called the Pirate King."

As Kagome spoke, Inuyasha began drifting towards the ships, leveling out above them so he could see what was happening. On the decks of the ships he saw humans and youkai alike fighting each other, some in uniform, some in simple but ragged clothes.

"Our King and our people will fight gallantly,

And although some will fall, none will look back with regret."

As she said this, he saw a few of the pirates be cut down by a particularly strong man with tanned skin and a long braid of black hair flowing down his back.

"Each will fight for his or her own life

But only one will fight for the lives of freedom and the survival that they all desire."

As the distance between Inuyasha and the ship farthest from the island diminished, he began seeing people he recognized. The first he saw was Jin, Ayame's first mate. She was fighting along side one of the Houjo twins, the chef, against a lizard youkai. He was surprised to see that the man could actually manage himself in a fight.

Aboard another ship, he saw Rin running behind Jaken, who had occasionally had to turn around and blast a few youkai and humans with his Staff of Two Heads. They were being chased around the large deck, eventually being forced to climb the mast to escape. He only had to wonder where his brother was for a few seconds before he saw him aboard the next ship over, trying desperately to make his way to his companions but being forced back by a very large person mounted on a machine shooting at him. The hanyou wanted to help his brother and his friends greatly, but he could not move closer, he could only move forward.

Farther up he caught sight of Kouga who sat in the crows' nest of his own ship, huddled over something he held in his arms. When he looked up, tears were visible in his eyes, and the bloodied body of Ayame was revealed. It was hard to tell from that distance, but it appeared as if she was not breathing.

Something in Inuyasha's chest stung dreadfully, he anxiously wanted to step forward, and push life into Ayame some how, but he still could not move towards them.

Kouga opened his mouth in a howl that was unheard by Observing Inuyasha, and he set Ayame's body down carefully in the crows nest, and leaped down to the deck where he proceeded to rip anyone within his reach to tatters.

"No one can help them now for this has not come to pass yet.

Only one will be able to put a stop to their pain in the end.

Our King must unlock his ability and strength in order to save us all.

He must unlock the power inherited from not just Midoriko,

But all of his ancestors from both of the families he comes from."

Only a few more ships remained between him and the boat he intended to reach when he spotted Sango flinging her Hiraikotsu at a ship across from her own. It tore the sails and mast apart as it made it's way around and she caught it with ease when it returned. It didn't take long for him to find Miroku, who was fighting exceptionally well, which was not a surprise for someone who had studied martial arts since boyhood.

"When Midoriko first envisioned these events,

She knew that some would live and some would die."

Just as Kagome said this, Inuyasha glimpsed something hit Miroku in the chest and he stopped all movement. In the last moments that Inuyasha could see him, Miroku fell to his knees, clutching his chest, then fell forward onto the deck.

Inuyasha wanted to scream with the yearning to go back and help all of the fallen.

But he stayed silent.

He stayed on the path.

And as he saw the ship he sought, everything else was forgotten.

The answer would be on this boat.

The Pirate King himself would be right here.

The captain was filled with anticipation as he finally reached the last boat, and to his surprise he found the second Houjo twin running towards the middle of the deck where most of the ships crew was gathered. He was even more surprised to find that Kagome was the center of the crew's attention. She was fighting a large number of people, a large quantity of them Youkai males with only her bare fists. She punched one in the gut, and then launched the back of her foot into the side of his head. When he went down, she took his sword and rammed it into his neck.

Another male came behind her, and she kicked backwards, then pulled the sword from the youkai's neck and used it to slit the other mans throat. She kept spilling blood, successfully using her miko to speed up her actions. It was only once Houjo called her name that he noticed that she had shackles around her wrists and ankles with broken chains attached to them and that she was wearing a tube top styled shirt made out of what appeared to be a ripped dark green cotton cloth, and around her hips she wore the Jolly Rodger as a make shift skirt.

She turned towards the sound of her name being called and reached out to catch her bow and quiver of arrows, thrown to her by Houjo. The man joined her and fought along side her, using a blade to cut the people down as Kagome expertly fired arrow after arrow into the crew.

"She knew that it was a youkai she would fail to defeat that would cause all this."

Kagome turned her head for a moment to shout something to Houjo, and he responded back but the observing Inuyasha was unable to hear them. Just like everyone else in the vision, they had been muted.

"She knew that it was the same Onigumo Naraku that would slaughter her,

That would bring about this much destruction,"

Houjo and Kagome stood back to back, eying the rest of the enemy when Houjo nudged her and nodded somewhere out of the line of sight. Kagome's head quickly turned right and she shouted something, then lifted her arrow and fired.

"She also knew that in this vision, the only one who would be fighting Onigumo…"

Inuyasha's eyes followed the arrow, as it seemed to move in slow motion, heading towards the dark haired monster. He dodged it easily, and then smirked in the Kagome's direction. He began to speak, but some how it did not feel as if he were talking to her, but to someone who was out of the current scene. This was only confirmed as his eyes turned back to the original way he was facing and he got back into a fighting stance, his sword pointed out.

"…Would be the hanyou known as the Pirate King."

Time all but stopped as the Observing Inuyasha watched himself step into view, a look of hatred in his eyes and his own large sword in his hands. The image and Kagome's words sauntered around him, slowly dissolving any doubt he could have had about it.

Suddenly the vision darkened, and the pitch-blackness returned, as did the ghostly silence. The gears in his brain stopped turning, and his breath hitched in his throat. The mere thought of what had just been revealed to him brought him to his knees with a thud that could not be heard.

He did not know how much time he spent kneeling on the floor before Kagome appeared before him, the only thing consumed by light in the entire room. The dark was so heavy, her glow didn't even cast any light on the things around her, and most of the luminosity was consumed by the heavy darkness before it got far. In fact, it didn't even cast a glow on him and he was sitting close enough to her that their knees were almost touching.

Her eyes were closed as she leaned forward, holding herself up with one of her arms that she had near his leg. Her other hand she used to tug on the end of his shirt to make sure he was paying attention. Now their faces were mere inches apart, and he could feel a tingling sensation on the places he was sure light could touch him.

"My only regret," she spoke, lifting her eyelids half way and giving him a mystical stare. "Is that it is the fault of someone like me,"

"That will effect your decision the most.

I only wish that your choice would not be burdened

By someone of miko blood like myself," she spoke, her voice wispy. She unfastened her hand from his shirt, and placed it gently on his cheek. Her hands were cold against his skin as she slid her hand under his chin and lifted his head to make him look into her glowing eyes.

"Midoriko does not know the outcome of this ordeal.

Nor does anyone else in this world.

You will be the only one to make the decision.

Only then will everyone know, throughout this world and the next.

We are all waiting.

And I pray that by the end of all this

No one will be able to say

That a hanyou will never amount to anything.

Because here you will be, standing tall and proud and contradicting

To what they have declared.

Takahashi Inuyasha, King of the Pirates."

She watched him for a few more moments, and then as if someone hit a switch, her light was extinguished, the regular sunlight returned, and she collapsed into his lap.

Inuyasha finally remembered to breathe as the searing feeling in his lungs made itself apparent. Although he did not take a deep breath, or gulp the air down like a starving man would gulp down food, but slowly and gradually took even breaths.

He lifted a trembling hand to remove a few strands of raven black hair from Kagome's face.

The hanyou could _feel_ the eyes of everyone in the room upon him, indicating that they had seen everything they had seen.

He ignored them.

Until someone spoke.

"Inuyasha?" they seemed to question him.

The calm cool collected voice of reason.

"Brother…" it called.

Sesshomaru.

"…Did you know?"

Something made him shake his head negatively.

Somehow, he did not want to hear a rational opinion right now.

He did not want to hear anything right now.

Suddenly, he pined for the uncanny silence that had just been there moments ago.

Miroku spoke next.

"Everything is always closer than you think…"

His voice sounded distant and sickly.

He was most likely thinking about his fate according to the vision.

Then the ever rational Sesshomaru once again.

"What did she mean, your decision would be burdened by someone of miko blood? Does she mean Izayoi?"

Inuyasha could not tell if the question was directed at him, but he did not answer.

He could not care less.

But he could feel Ayame starring at himself and Kagome.

So it only made sense when she asked

"Is it Kagome?"

Her voice sounded like Miroku's.

Like a voice of a person who was operating mechanically now, instead of letting feelings intervene.

Then silence.

He would not speak.

He wanted it quiet.

Someone else would have to break it.

"What do you mean Ayame?" Sango's voice queried.

"I…" Ayame seemed unsure of what to say. He guessed that she was uncomfortable with airing her friend's dirty laundry without her being there to explain it or even oppose to it.

"They… I saw…"

Sesshomaru was at least able to figure it out, having been here long enough to know about the relationship his brother and the miko had once shared.

"Are they together?" he asked, implying a million things with that one word.

Ayame did not speak, but when Inuyasha heard a gasp from Sango, he knew she had nodded her head.

"I wonder… so they are courting. Does this mean that somehow, Kagome will sway Inuyasha to do one thing or the other?"

Miroku spoke up again.

Why wouldn't they shut up?

He felt boxed in by all the voices.

"Shut up."

He could feel all of their gazes being shifted towards him once more.

"Shut the hell up."

"Inuyasha…?" Ayame spoke up.

"I don't want this. I didn't ask to be anybody's savior or king, or whatever the hell you people want me to be."

"Don't be foolish," his brother started, but before he could finish the rest of his statement, Inuyasha looked up, staring him down with cold dark eyes, despite their amber hue.

His gaze was unsettling.

Like that of a caged animal that wanted out, and didn't quite yet know that it had the power to get there. But of course you knew. If you had not known, it would not be so unsettling. You just hoped it did not find out.

"It's all bull. It's all just a load of bullshit."

"You believed in it enough a while ago," Kouga said, speaking for the first time. "What's changed?"

Inuyasha looked back down at the floor.

"I thought we'd actually have a person worthy of being called King. I… I believed that shit until I found out that the person you were all… _we_ were all relying on, was just a fuckin' unreliable, reckless, cheating… disappointment."

Inuyasha wrinkled his nose, then stood and deposited Kagome in Sesshomaru's arms.

"I'm not staying here," he informed his brother. Then he nodded his head towards the girl the youkai now held. "When she wakes up, if she wants to know where I am just tell her I'm under the sky. And I'm gonna be there a long time."

With that, he turned towards his usual exit: the window.

With one leap, he was gone and no one knew what to do.

Not even Sesshomaru, the voice of reason.

Said youkai looked down the unconscious girl in his arms.

"I think… We may have to rely on Kagome to talk sense into him."

"And if that doesn't work?" Kouga asked the second Sesshomaru stopped speaking. He sounded a little angry, and the look on his face shown his agitation.

"Then que sera, sera," Miroku said, his eyebrows knitted together.

"What will be will be."

* * *

"NO! DON'T HURT THEM!"

"Eh…?"

Kagome sat in the bed she was in, fisting the sheets with a death grip, her knuckles white. Her face was contorted with pain and sorrow, her eyes shut tightly and her teeth gritted as tears flowed down her cheeks. The rest of her body was soaked with sweat.

"Kagome-chan?" she heard Sango's voice call from her left. She flinched when she felt a hand come into contact with her back.

Her trembling hands let go of the sheets and she let out a breath she did not notice she was holding. Her eyes opened, and looked towards the brunette to her left.

"S-Sango…?"

The captain smiled at her friend, and then shifted her eyes over a little bit. Kagome followed her gaze over to her right side, where Ayame sat smiling like a little kid who got their Christmas wish.

Kagome however, looked as if she were about to burst with all the emotion she had in her.

"Ayame… I… I'm so…"

Ayame shook her head, her smile still in place. Kagome could only wonder why a person who had just seen that she was most likely about to die in an upcoming battle could smile they way she did. Or maybe… she just didn't realize?

"Do… Did you see…?"

Ayame's smile faltered, and her eyes shifted from her lap and back up to Kagome.

"I saw."

Kagome never felt so helpless in her life.

"Ayame… I'm so sorry…" she whispered, tears flowing from her eyes once more.

Ayame's smile reappeared as she shook her head again. "Don't worry about it. Nothing to be sorry for."

Kagome eyed her friend with eyes of sorrow, then something hit her, and she looked over to Sango. She opened her mouth to say something, but her friend quieted her with a hand.

"Don't do this Kagome. Please don't pity either of us," she said firmly.

"I don't pity you!" she tried to shout, but her voice just came out hoarse.

"Sango and I both understand what's at stake," Ayame said, placing a hand on her friends and interlocking their fingers. "Even if we lose a loved one," she continued, sparring a glance at Sango who looked away, "Or our own lives… We want to be there still. So don't sympathize with us. Just support us, 'kay?"

Kagome nodded her head, wiping her tears away with her free hand.

"Besides, if you just sit hear blubbering here all day, how will you find the time to listen to my story of what went down with Kouga and me?" she said, lifting her eyebrows twice as she nudged her friend with her elbow.

"Oooh! Tell me, I wanna know!" Sango squealed, leaning forward towards the two other girls.

Kagome laughed at her friends.

"I love you girls…"

The other two women laughed.

"We know!"

* * *

**Two Other Things You Should Know:**

Kouga really did have the guts to apologize.

Ayame had the guts to accept it.

* * *

When Kagome entered the waiting room of the infirmary, she felt a little uneasy about the looks her fellow court members were giving her. She desperately wanted to not let their faces impinge on her current state of emotional volatility. Luckily for her, both female captains that accompanied her into the room took notice of this and steered her to a chair on the side of the room, as apposed to the one in the middle that was obviously set out for her.

She sat herself down, her friends about to sit next to her when she shook her head at the two of them. Ayame and Sango exchanged looks before going to sit in other chairs scattered about the edges of the small bright room.

Sesshomaru opened his mouth, but Kagome hurriedly asked, "How long have I been asleep?"

The youkai let her rudeness pass by him this one time, knowing that she was probably trying to avoid what she knew was coming.

"You have been asleep for about a day, like the last time. But the other three mikos, as you might have noticed, were not accompanying you in the infirmary room this time around."

"Did they not have the vision?" Kagome inquired, glad for a tangent off of the topic she knew they wanted to discuss.

"They saw the things you saw, and heard the same voice. But according to witnesses around them, they did not speak as you did, and although they did glow, the light around them did not disappear into darkness as it had before. They also must have used a lot less miko then you did yesterday, because they awoke within the first few hours of unconsciousness."

"I see," she whispered at the end of Sesshomaru's explanation. She suddenly found her hands very interesting as she twiddled with the end of the white kimono she knew her mother must have changed her into while she slept.

"Kagome, you realize of course what we are about to ask of you," Sesshomaru spoke up, watching her with intent eyes.

"I… I can't…"

"You have to. If you don't convince Inuyasha to take his place as King, then we will all suffer a fate worse than we can probably imagine," Sesshomaru spoke, his voice growing in volume.

Kagome shook her head slowly, and then placed both of her hands on either sides of her head. "I can't make him do something he doesn't want to. You should know that."

"How do you know that you can't if you have not tried?"

"I just know."

"But how?"

"I just do!" she yelled, and for a moment her chair shook with some of the loss of control she had on herself.

Sesshomaru was quiet for a moment. Perhaps forcing her into the position wasn't the proper way to do this. So, another method had to be used.

"Kagome," he started, his voice low in volume and key. "Think about this for a moment. If he does not come forward and accept the responsibility given to him, then what will happen to you? Your crew? Or what about us, or our crew? And let us not forget that each of our most precious family members and friends reside here. If they defeat us, what is there to stop them from coming after our home?"

"Then I'll fight."

"You can't do it alone."

"I can if I have to."

"Yes, you can fight if you have to. But who is there to say that you will win?"

Kagome did not have to ponder over all these details. She had already known, since the moment she woke up. Once the shock of some people she held dear might die left her, the more rational thoughts entered her mind. All the same questions Sesshomaru was asking her she had already asked herself.

"I still can't."

"Well why not?" Miroku asked, a little more harshly then he would have cared for.

"Because I know exactly why he doesn't want to do it."

This gave everyone a little start. They had expected her to come out with something a bit more… lovey-dovey, if you will.

"And? Why doesn't he want to?"

"It's too much, that's why. It intimidating, and whether he can admit it to himself or not, he's scared out of his mind."

Sesshomaru almost looked disgusted. "Did he not hear the prophecy? Did he not _see_ the vision? He's going to fight!"

Kagome looked at Sesshomaru with angry eyes. "But who is there to say that he'll win?"

* * *

Kagome sat in the same bed she awoke in a few minutes later, holding her knees to her chest. After she gave her final word she stood and walked back into the room, and sat down on the bed in a huff.

Sango had come and gone, trying in her own way to persuade her to get Inuyasha to help. She did nothing but turn away, spitting out that they didn't even know where he was. Sango was silent then, but just for a moment before she pleadingly whispered that the least she could do was to convince him to come back and hear the rest of them out.

Then she stood, and walked towards the door. Before she opened it, she responded to Kagome's earlier statement by saying "We don't know where he is. But you do. He said that he'd be under the sky, whatever that means."

With that she left, obviously a little upset.

Kagome did feel a little bad, especially with thought of the vision still fresh in her mind. But still, they couldn't actually expect her to go convince Inuyasha to do something like this. Sure, it was a selfish move on his part to not do it, but the way she saw it, she really had no say in the matter.

Besides, Midoriko had told her that there was nothing she could do.

Well, nothing she could do purposefully anyway.

"But, I suppose I still have to see him," she thought aloud.

Sighing, she got up from the bed and walked over to a bag she knew he mother had left her with a change of cloths in it. She looked through it, and silently thanked the kami that her mother understood her need for cloths she felt comfortable in (unlike a certain sister of hers).

She took out a simple pair of black trousers out of the pack, followed by her lovely fitted Chinese styled purple shirt with a black flower petals sewn onto it's pockets, a black rose imprinted on the back. She quickly slipped out of the unisex infirmary kimono and into the cloths her mother left her. She looked around the floor for a moment before finding boots by the side of her bed. They weren't hers, but she'd take them instead of having to walk barefoot. She pulled on the black leather shoes, lacing them all the way up to her knees.

Then she stood, stretched her arms over her head, and began gathering sheets. Once she had all the sheets she could find in the room, she tied the ends together, she tied one end of the sheet-rope to the bedpost, and the other end she dropped out of the window. The miko yanked the sheet, making sure it was securely tied and wouldn't come undone. Then she grabbed a satchel from her mother's bag, tied it around her waist, and dropped herself out of the window while hanging onto the sheets.

Kagome scaled the wall of the five-story building (of course she would be in the room at the top), but found that the sheets only reached the middle of the second floor.

Cursing, she held onto the remaining sheets tightly why she gathered up the gall she had to do what she felt she had to. And as she held her breath and closed her eyes, her hands released the sheets, and she fell to the ground.

Her feet landed first, but the impact of her landing caused her knees to buckle, and she fell onto her backside.

She took a moment to collect herself, ignoring the pain in her ankles and the few people staring at her as they passed by. Then she headed straight for the cave exit.

Midoriko had told her she could do nothing about it.

But she supposed, that for her friends, she'd overlook that.

After all, the Pirate Queen did not say she couldn't try.

* * *

**A Significant Truth:**

Different people see different things differently.

But similar people see the same things through points of views a little closer to home.

* * *

She's coming. I can hear her footsteps. Left foot, right foot. Left, right, left, stumble, left again. Kami she's so clumsy.

I can't see her, even though she's here now. I can smell her, and hear her breathing. Inhale, exhale, and inhale again.

My eyes are closed. That's why I can't see her.

Am I feigning sleep?

Of course not.

What the hell would pretending to sleep do? She's not going anywhere. Besides, I don't want her to leave quite yet.

Regardless of my not pretending to be dead to the world, she thinks I am. In my time of knowing this woman, I think I may have been asleep in front of her twice. Once underground somewhere in India and once after we'd made love.

She believes I've been asleep in front of her thrice, four times if you count now.

I've learned in the one time that I have pretended to be asleep in front of her, that I am pretty damned good at it. Or that she really cannot tell the difference between awake Inuyasha, and sleeping Inuyasha. Either way, it seems to work in my benefit.

She's touching me. Three delicate medium sized fingers sliding down my face. It's kind of nice. She's got really warm skin.

Funny, the last time she touched my face her fingers were as cold as ice on the rocks.

But then again, I suppose that was a special occasion.

Which brings me back to the reason she's here.

To convince me to become King.

I guess I should stop avoiding talking about it. I have had about a day to get over the shock. I'm not as upset, but I still do not want to be king of anything, let alone the pirates.

She's leaning closer to me all of a sudden. Some of hair is drooping on her face, and I can feel the heat of her body on my own. In fact, I can feel her breath on one of my ears, and I can't help but shudder.

"Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me," she whispers, then I feel a familiar rapping on the top of my head and the warmth she produced is yanked away as she sits up. "Open your eyes you fake! I know you're not sleeping!"

I open my eyes and roll them.

Ah, Kagome, how I love thee. Let me count the ways.

I sit up and stretch my arms over my head, stifling a yawn. "You didn't have to hit me so hard. You got one of my ears."

She didn't respond, just sat herself down across from me and on the soft moss of the large branch. Sometimes I get so comfortable in this little hideout that I forget we're high up in a tree.

"All right. Say it. I know that you've been sent by the legion of doom to ensnare me in a trap that will force me to… how would he have phrased this… 'Take on my responsibilities'," I said sarcastically.

She looked at me quaintly for a moment. "Why aren't you upset and yelling and having a fit?"

"Nani? I can't joke about our impending doom?"

"No."

"Sorry, didn't get the memo."

"Answer the question. Why aren't you pissed at me if you know what I'm here for?" she asked, a single dark eyebrow arched.

"Actually I only had a hunch. You only just confirmed it."

"Quit avoiding the question."

"Keh, I'm not a little kid," I responded, arms crossed. "Sure I've got the right to mope over anything I want to like everybody else, but I couldn't stay mad. I mean I was pissed the first few hours… But I did get over the shock and initial anger."

"So you'll do it then?"

"Not a chance."

Kagome sucked at her teeth and rolled her eyes. "You are so infuriating."

I tired to smile, but couldn't. "I know."

"Why not?"

"Eh?" I questioned, knowing fully what she was referring to.

"Why won't you do it? If you're not angry that you're the one that's supposed to become Pirate King, then what's stopping you?"

That was a question worth a fortune.

"I don't want to. That simple."

I am one extraordinary liar. But I can see plain as day that she knows I'm not being honest this time.

She's leaning towards me now, resting her head on my shoulder. Her hand finds its way to my own and she interlocks our fingers.

"I think I know why."

"Maybe 'cause I just told you?"

"Be serious."

"One can only try."

She heaves a big sigh, her thumb making circles on the back of my hand.

"If you tell me, I won't have to say it and you won't be caught in a lie."

"I thought I was already caught?"

"Not officially."

"Ah…"

A pause. Then she speaks again.

"Well?"

She looks at me, and through my peripheral vision I see her large chocolate eyes filled with expectancy. Oh boy. I remember the first time I looked into her eyes and lost all desire to keep things from her.

And it sucked just as much then as it sucks now.

I let a sigh slip past my lips and push the palm of my bands over my face, pushing the messy silver bangs from my eyes and off my forehead.

"The thought of being…" I try to say it, but the words don't come. "It's just very… intimidating, okay?"

I can feel my eyebrows knitting together before I actually realize I'm frowning. Oh how I hate this feeling.

"I'm not ready for this… I didn't ask for it, I didn't want it… All I want to do is live life the way I have been for nineteen years. As a pirate, nothing more."

"But you can do it, Inuyasha. Don't you think that _you_ are the Pirate King and not someone else for a reason?"

"It's hard to believe."

"How so?"

I abruptly turned towards her, causing her to gasp a little as I took her face into my hands and brought it close to mine so quickly it probably made her a little dizzy.

"Look at me," I told her, staring into her eyes. "Do I look any different than any other pirate you've seen in all your years at sea? Do I seem like the type of person you'd trust with your life, let alone the lives of thousands of people across the waters? Am I really the only person out there that is strong enough to beat the man who killed the Pirate Queen herself? Hell, I didn't even know she was my fuckin' ancestor! Do I even look worthy enough to share in the same bloodline as her?"

She stared at me, eyes shifting over my features and wide like dinner plates.

"It's not that you look like it, you just are."

Kami I hate how stubborn this woman can be.

Before I knew what I was doing, I crushed my mouth on top of hers, skipping formalities and forcing my tongue into her mouth. She tastes wonderful, like raspberries. Tangy, but sweet at the same time.

Much to my displeasure, she pulls away for me after regaining some self-control (I love how I can make her lose it so easily) and she holds my shoulders at arms length.

"Inuyasha, you can't keep interrupting our conversations with this kind of stuff," she scolds me. It's almost scary how much she looks like my mother when she does that.

"It's not my fault. You believing in me is a turn on." She looks at me skeptically, holding in a smile that I can see fighting it's way to the surface. "Nande? It's true! Not many people do that, and when you do it it's sexy."

I can tell she wants to laugh at my words, and I don't blame her. When I think about it, it does sound funny.

"Really Inuyasha. Why don't you think you're good enough? The Inuyasha I know is arrogant and cocky. What's different?" She asks, taking hold of my hand once more.

"I…" But I can't answer her. Admitting that I'm scared… It's scary in itself. "I've never really… felt like this before. It's… Daunting. And I hate it. There's no way I could fight like this…"

Her grip tightens around my fingers and I feel reassured. I don't know if that's what she was aiming for, but Kagome tends to make me feel better about any situation. So, I look into her eyes and take a deep breath before taking the plunge.

"I'm afraid of being the King."

Kami, it sounds so simple when it's said, but it was difficult to admit!

"I know."

I mean, I've been here for basically a whole day preparing for—Wait, what?

"Huh?" I say oh so intelligently.

"I could tell by the way you looked after seeing the vision," she replied tilting her head to the side. "I don't know if you knew it, but you basically looked like you'd seen a ghost. You were about as pale as Sesshomaru and your eyes looked like they lost their luster."

"So I looked like shit?"

"You're scared because you don't know what you'll do if, kami forbid, you lose. Right?" She asks, completely ignoring my millionth attempt at going off on yet another random tangent.

I did not have to say anything, not even a nod of the head was necessary. She knew, she had said it, and she knew that I knew she had figured it out. Damn, I guess this conversation was inevitable after all.

"You can run from it, if you like," she said as she stood, the last remaining strips of sunlight making it through the branches of the tree and falling upon her face. She squinted against the light, but continued to watch the water lapping up on the beach.

"Are you reading my mind?"

"No. But you tend to show your emotions through your eyes."

"Ah, damn eyes. It's always the eyes," I said with a bit of false anger in my voice. I leaned back against the trunk of the tree and looked up through the rest of the branches.

"So, will you?"

"Run away?"

She nodded.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and squinted my own eyes as I tried to locate the bird's nest I knew to be in this tree.

"I don't know yet."

Yet another lie.

"Good."

"Nani?"

"I said good," she spoke, turning towards me once more. "If you haven't made your mind up yet, then you wouldn't mind having a little more insight to help you arrive at a decision, right?"

"I'm not going back so I can listen to them tell me how fucked up it would be if I didn't help."

"But they have good reason… You saw the visions. It's going to happen regardless, and we witnessed two of our friends…" she choked. She couldn't finish her sentence. I don't blame her. The thought of Miroku… Or Ayame… well, let's just say that the thought of something happening to either of them is unsettling.

And I empathize with both Kouga and Sango.

It's strange that I feel sorry for the ones left behind more than the ones that are supposed to be going, huh?

"It's going to happen regardless…" I repeat her words, gaining an ominous feeling as the words slip past my lips. "I hate destiny. It only means that you have no choice."

Kagome shrugged, and turned back towards the waning sunset. "Maybe it's not destiny. Maybe it will be your choice."

"Maybe making that choice _is_ my destiny."

She steals a glance at me through the corner of her eyes, and I pretend not to notice.

"I hate feeling this way," I hear myself say. "Being scared… I stopped being scared of things like death when I was five. I hated it, so I pushed it out of my life."

"So then what's different? You're not afraid of death, so what makes you so afraid of this? Is it the thought of failing?"

"No. I'm used to that."

"So then what is it?"

I opened my mouth to speak, but paused. What was it that was so terrifying about becoming this Pirate King? Now that I think about it, I'm not quite sure. I've only focused on how to avoid doing it and how god damned cowardly I was being. But I have not thought about the reason behind my cowardice.

I shake my head, and push my hand over my face again, leaving it over my eyes because I'm craving a bit of darkness.

"I don't know."

"Well think about it on the way," she said, holding her hand out to me.

"On the way where?"

She smiled, tilting her head towards me. "The beach."

* * *

Dark, wet, cold, and mossy are words that describe the slick cave walls surrounding Naraku and his fellow travelers. He seethed silently at having to be forced within the disgusting premises, but he soaked up his anger like a sponge into a place he could unlock it later, when some poor fool made the mistake of crossing him.

He stepped lightly on the gravel and rocks; not wanting to get moss on his newly shined boots, and wrinkled his nose.

"It smells like something died in here," he noted, as a bright light pierced his vision. He kept walking, squinting but refraining from shielding his eyes like the men and his sister along side him. Their eyes eventually grew accustomed to the light and they searched their surroundings.

The cave had grown into a rather domesticated looking room with a few large red pots lining the three walls. In the middle of the room was large box that stood elevated above the ground. In it, a miniature village stood.

Naraku smiled, and then stepped forward towards the small box village.

"Hello?" he bellowed, his voice deep and throaty.

Within seconds a portly looking man appeared from a hidden flight of stairs built into the wall. His hair was a tinted forest green, and a bit scraggly. He had tanned skin, large eyes with well-rounded irises, black and infinite. His mouth was curved into a small frown at the people now filling his room, and he held up a chubby hand, pointing a squat digit at the man who was obviously the leader of the pack.

"What are you all doing in my home?" he asked, his voice surprisingly mellow for a man who resembled an overripe orange that grew limbs.

Naraku took yet another step forward, confidence and sickeningly fake kindness teeming from every pore in his body. "My good man, I am looking for someone. Perhaps you can help me?"

The orange-man frowned more deeply, grunting for Naraku to continue.

"Well, I am in search of the great sage Toukajin. You are he, yes?"

Orange-man nodded his head warily, his eyes searching over the youkai standing behind the man addressing him. "What is it that you want with me?"

Naraku stepped closer to the box village once again, leaning against its ledge.

"A little over three years ago, you had a run in with a hanyou and a miko that, as I understand it, caused you a bit of grief, correct?"

Toukajin visibly tensed at the mention of a hanyou and a miko. The aura around him turned sour as his face contorted with anger and he became more youkai-like within the boundaries of his features.

"That terrible ainoko and his miko whore… They did more than cause me just a bit of grief!" he snarled, his fists balled into chubby clumps of flesh.

"Yes, I have heard that you serve under Nemenka, the tree of human faced fruits. I have also heard that the two mentioned early fried most of the humans you used as fertilizer, damaged your precious tree, and stole quit a few treasures from you," Naraku listed a few of the things Inuyasha and Kagome had done as he examined his nails nonchalantly.

Toukajin nearly growled he was so angry.

"Why do you mention such wretches to me? What is your purpose?" spat the orange-man.

Naraku stood once more, holding himself erect and tall, but not as tall as the large sage. "I have a proposition for you, sage. I imagine that you are still dealing with the damages caused by those two, even three years later, yes?" he asked, but did not wait for the answer. "I suppose you would be craving a little… justice?" he smiled maliciously.

Toukajin eyed the man, examining his rather expensive cloths and cultured mentality.

"You are of the Youkai Syndicate," he muttered more to himself than to Naraku. "What have they done that could have attracted the attention of the Syndicate?"

"You mean, besides being born?"

Toukajin smiled for the first time in the while that Naraku and his companions had been occupying his home.

"You interest me," he said. "And I believe a little justice… is in order."

"Lovely," Naraku smiled his fake sugary sweet smile. All the pieces were coming into place.

All he needed now was Higurashi and he'd have the last piece of the puzzle.

His future was approaching.

And it looked bright.

* * *

Inuyasha and Kagome walked the beach in the warm summer night. The sun had gone down, but it was still just as hot, so Inuyasha ended up pulling his shirt from his torso and hooking it into his belt to become more comfortable.

"You'll catch cold like that," Kagome said in response to him pulling out of the item of clothing.

"Woman, it's hot as all levels of hell. There's no way I'm catchin' cold," he responded defiantly.

It would have been pitch black outside if it weren't for the half moon and the stars that lit the sky stunningly. Kagome, being the hopeless romantic, could not help but to feel a bit more inclined to be closer to Inuyasha, even if it meant walking so close to him that their arms constantly brushed against each other as the walked.

"Do you remember the night they had the festival in my honor? You know, when I first arrived here?" Kagome spoke, looking up at the stars.

Inuyasha grunted his confirmation, stretching his arms backwards as he leaned forward and walked.

Kagome smiled at her memory. "It was a night kind of like this. Unusually warm… half moon… and I had come out to the beach to listen to the waves once everything was over."

Inuyasha chuckled a little. "And who should you run into but knuckle-headed little me."

"Eh, you weren't that knuckle-headed…"

Inuyasha looked at her, an eyebrow arched.

"Okay, maybe just a little. But it's not like it was your fault. Any kid in the same position as yourself would have gotten a big head… well, except Sesshomaru."

Inuyasha laughed once again. "Sure, you only say that because you didn't know Sesshomaru when he was a little kid. When you met him, he was sixteen and already acting like he had a stick rammed up his ass."

"Are you saying," Kagome started skeptically. "That Sesshomaru once acted like a normal person… with feelings?"

"Yup, the damn snob."

* * *

Sesshomaru sat in a corner of his home, watching as Rin placed a blanket over Shippo who had once again slept over their house when it happened.

He felt itchiness in his nose that grew and grew until…

"Achoo!"

Rin looked over at Sesshomaru and smiled. "Heh, maybe somebody's talking about you, Sessh-kun!"

He nearly rolled his eyes.

"Not probable. That myth is just an old wives tale."

* * *

Kagome sat down in the sand and started unlacing her boots. "You probably shouldn't talk about your brother that way."

"Keh, who gives a damn. I'm not the kind of guy who tends to do what he's 'sposed to anyway," Inuyasha responded. He sat down next to her, leaning on his supporting arms and pushing sand with his right foot.

"Hey, Yash. You gonna wear that shirt any time soon?"

He looked down, and then lifted his hips off the ground so he could pull the shirt from under his belt. "This?" he questioned and held up the deep red cotton shirt he'd gotten somewhere on the Chinese coast.

"Yes, that."

"Eh, prolly not. Why?"

Kagome slipped her trousers down and off her legs, leaving her in her purple shirt, which was long enough to cover certain assets.

"Let's go swimming!" she exclaimed, a childish smile on her face.

He looked at her for a moment as if she were crazy, but as the seconds went by, he could not come up with a reason why they should not. So he unbuckled the buckles on his boots and kicked them off, and left them next to his shirt as he stood.

"Ladies first," he said, gesturing for her to step forward.

Kagome rolled her eyes and walked toward the waves, muttering "What a gentlemen," as she passed by him. She approached the waves warily, knowing that the water would be slightly cold. She shivered when she discovered that her suspicions were correct and the cold water lapped at her feet.

"You sure you wanna swim?" Inuyasha asked as he stepped up next to her and he seemed unaffected by the cold water surrounding his ankles.

She smiled at him. "Of course. I'll get used to the temperature." And with that she left him behind, fearlessly running into the dark water, eventually diving head first into the waves.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and waded to the place where she disappeared, the waves hitting him just above his belly button.

"Kagome?" he called out when he did not see her resurface. He was not worried; he knew Kagome was an exceptional swimmer (she had actually saved his life once, but that is a story for another time).

"Kago—AH!" he nearly shrieked as he felt something slam into his back and he plummeted into the water. Once underwater, he swirled around and opened his eyes to see the dark and blurry but recognizable image of Kagome floating above him with a smile.

He glared at her, knowing she could see him because of the moon shinning through the shallow water. Then he swam upwards, hooking his right arm around her middle and coming back up into the warm night air.

He stood, Kagome thrown over his shoulder and he felt her heaving chest on the back of his shoulder blade.

"That's what you get for scaring me all the time!" she shouted happily, lightly pounding her open palms on the small of his back.

"You are the most evil miko I've ever met, you know that?" he said as he turned back towards the beach.

When he stepped onto dry sand at last, he flopped forward, heaving Kagome onto the sand. She landed on her back, giggling like a little girl as he fell on top of her, his head lying on her stomach.

"Now, don't you feel better?" she asked kindheartedly, stroking the top of his head with her right hand. He growled a little whenever her fingers brushed over his ears, but it was not a menacing growl, more like a fond one and she had a feeling that he did it involuntarily.

He groaned a little, signaling that he really had no desire to speak right now. Then he snuggled in closer to her, his face hitting wet cloth. He sighed, and then sat up. Kagome opened her mouth to ask what was wrong, but she reflexively put a hand up to shield her face from the water droplets flung from Inuyasha's hair and body as he shook himself (yes, like a dog).

When he stopped moving his hair looked stringy, and it stuck to his back and arms. His sideburns (A/N: don't know if that's what he calls them, but they look like super long sideburns to me) clung to his shoulders and chest, and some of his bangs stuck to his forehead and the sides of his face, the rest of the pieces of hair stuck up in odd places.

Kagome smiled, trying to hold in the laugh. "You look ridiculous."

The hanyou merely grunted, smirking a bit as he smoothed out his hair with his hands, but it did not help much. He reached down to her shirt, and then started to unbutton it from the bottom up. Once he had four buttons unbuttoned, he opened the shirt to reveal everything from her rib cage down.

"What are you doing, you inu hentai?" she asked, even though she did not mind.

"I'm not doing anything perverted," he responded as he lowered himself back down onto her stomach. This time, instead of meeting the cold wet cloth, he met warm damp skin and he smiled in satisfaction. "I don't like laying on a wet shirt. I'd rather use your actual belly for a pillow."

"Picky picky."

"Shut up."

She laughed and looked up at the sky once more. It was beautiful, like always. But somehow, she could appreciate it a bit more in that moment.

"In the morning."

She looked down at Inuyasha, who had managed to wrap an arm around her, the other he just laid down next to her side.

"Nani?"

"In the morning, we can go see what everybody has to say."

"Really?" she whispered, slightly shocked.

"Yes, really."

"What made you change your mind?"

He sighed, and nudged his face against her flat stomach again. "I didn't."

"Well then why do you want to go hear what everyone has to say to you now?"

"Keh, in the back of my mind, I'd already decided that I'd do it. It just took the rest of me a long time to agree."

"So you aren't afraid anymore?"

"Nope. I'm scared shitless."

Kagome contorted her face in confusion. "But if you're scared, then why do it?"

"It's a secret. Now go to sleep, I can tell that you're tired still."

"Am not."

"Then just lay here with me."

The miko sighed and leaned her head back once again, nonchalantly stroking his ears and relishing in the vibrations he made on her stomach as he growled softly.

Eventually, she did fall back into a slumbering state.

Inuyasha did not sleep a wink, but he lay with her the entire night.

He thought about a number of things.

The vision.

Naraku.

What he was getting into.

But most of all he wondered why Midoriko would choose him, of all people, to become King. He was sure that somewhere else there was some miko, or some hoshi that could take on the responsibility, regardless of if they shared the same blood as her. The conclusion he came up with was simple.

She did not choose just any miko or hoshi because most of them were holy people that were against piracy anyway.

She did not pick some strong youkai because youkai were selfish and would want something for themselves out of it.

She did not select some human because they would most likely be too weak to defeat Onigumo.

And why did she pick him?

Other than the fact that they shared the same blood, he figured there could only be one real reason.

Kagome heaved a rather large sigh under him, and her fingers lightly gripped some of his hair as she smiled in her sleep.

He turned his head to look at her just as his name slipped out of her mouth with a fondness in her voice that gave him butterflies.

He felt himself smirk as he lay his head back down on her warm skin, his ears twitching.

She still held onto his hair.

She still smiled.

And he still had butterflies as he shifted his features from a smirk to a genuine smile.

_What in Kami's name have I let this woman do to me?_

* * *

**Inuyasha's Logic on Why Midoriko Chose Him:**

She was insane.

Completely and utterly wacko.

* * *

**Oofie: "That was full of fluff."**

**Kagome: "It was beautiful!"**

**Inuyasha sat and ate a cup of ramen.**

**Inuyasha: "Yeah, uh-huh sure…"**

**Kagome: "Heh, he's a bit distracted…"**

**Oofie: "Isn't he always?"**

**Kagome: "Whenever there's food involved."**

**Oofie: "Yeah, and now it's time for reviews! Yay!!!"**

**Review Replies:**

_KagsYasha_: Yesh, sex! Lol, well that's that isn't it? I'm so glad you liked Ayame, she's actually modeled after somebody I know so I'm gonna have to tell them about that. And guess what, YOU'RE FIRST AGAIN! Just cause I love your reaction to it. Lol, thanks for the review and I hope you liked this chapter!

_Shichinitai's girl_: Lol, people keep telling me they liked the lemon. I dunno, it's kind of… bleh. But I'm glad you liked it! As for the Banky thing, he's gonna be in the story but I didn't really plan on putting him with anybody, y'know? I personally agree with you, he be the shiznit, and he's effin' hot as hell. But I was kinda gonna make him like Sesshomaru, dedicated to what he does for a living (except Bankotsu will smile more and have more emotions than Sesshy-pie). I dunno, we'll have to see. Thankos muchos for the review and I hope you liked this chapter!

_Miko in training_: Lol, funny story about the spider. I actually put that spider in the story because while I was writing the last chapter, this spider that had been living on my ceiling (and that hadn't moved in like a week so I though it was dead) just kind of fell in my face… like I was writing and looking at the computer screen and then here comes this spider suspended on a web mere inches from m face. Normally, I don't mind the spiders, but this once surprised me so I screamed bloody murder and fell out of my chair… [Insert anime sweat drop here. Lol, as for if that particular spider has a future in the story, you'll have to wait and see! And Kikyo… well she has her role, but it has nothing to do with Inuyasha. As you can see, they have only been in the same room once in the entire story, and she was unconscious for most of it. So you don't have to worry about he coming out of nowhere and swooping up Inu-chan from Kagome. If anything, you might have to worry about her hating him 'cause Kagome likes him, but that's just an over-protective older sister thing. Anywho, thanks for the review!

_MoonDemoness468_: Yay, you liked the lemon! Lol, I'm glad. I'm sort of paranoid about writing that type of thing. I hope you liked the way Inu found out he was King. And even though everyone now knows that he's Pirate King, there's still a lot of mystery left in this story, so don't think this is the end of the surprises! (Not that it was a surprise that he was to be the king) I hope I affectively zombiefied you this chapter, and thankos muchos for the review!

_LoVe23_: And I've saved the one of my best reviewers for last! Lol, I'm glad you liked the lemon and I really was going for a hot sex scene, but not one that was dirty, y'know? As for the Kouga and Ayame, I'm glad you liked it but I hope you don't murder me for my potential murder of the red-haired one. She's not dead yet, so don't hurt me! Lol. She and her wolf prince have a lot more growing to do before I'm done, as do Inuyasha and Kagome, so stick around and keep giving me your feedback. I don't quite know why, but I feel like this chapter I was seeking to impress you the most out of all my readers, so I really hope you liked this one, regardless of the brutal things in it. Thankos muchos for your review!

**Oofie: "Wow, and now it's almost over for this chapter."**

**Inuyasha: "Yah! An ah gwuesh dah we aft thoo thay oobah owth."**

**Oofie stares at Inuyasha as he attempts to speak and guzzle down noodles at the same time. "Say what now?"**

**Kagome: "He said 'Yeah, and I guess that we have to say goodbye now'."**

**Oofie: "Oh… Yeah, it's time to go. I hope you guys liked this chapter, and I hope to get a lot of reviews!"**

**Inuyasha: "Yah, oodth wucth icth dah…"**

**Oofie: "Huh?"**

**Kagome: "He said, 'Yeah, good luck with that…'."**

**Oofie: "Uh… yeah, whatever. Hey, Kagome let's go to Cold Stone."**

**Kagome: "Okay!"**

**Oofie and Kagome both leave and Inuyasha follows.**

**Inuyasha: "Thawf dah whell ith uh Klodth sctho?"**

**Kagome: "'What the hell is a Cold Stone?"**

**Oofie: "Oh… you'll see when we get there. Goodbye readers!"**


	8. Troublesome Little Brothers

**Oofie: "Well damn, this is a long chapter."**

**Inuyasha: "Aw crap…" **

**Oofie: "Oh hush."**

**Kagome: "Why is it so long?"**

**Oofie: "I dunno, but it sort of seems to be all over the place, you know? I guess if when it's over, if I think there needs to be something added, I'll see to it that it is there."**

**Inuyasha: "Great, wonderful, pleasant. And now… yep, attention span won't let me care any longer."**

**Kagome: "Oh ye of little attention span."**

**Inuyasha: "Oh ye of little… and there it goes again. I'm bored."**

**Oofie: "You know I'd love to let this go on for hours, but we've got a chapter to present."**

**Kagome: "Yup, so let's start!"**

**Inuyasha: "Disclaimer?"**

**Oofie: "I own nothing. Except yo mama! Naw, I'm kidding. Your mom's a nice lady."**

**Inuyasha: "Lost interest."**

**Kagome: "Vocabulary!"**

chikushoume – son of a bitch

tenrai – heaven sent

sukuinushi – savior

kanmu – sweet/pleasant dreams

**Troublesome Little Brothers**

Kouga sat in his room, his hair down from his high ponytail for once. It cascaded down his bare back, soft silken strands of pitch black against warm sun-kissed skin. Despite it being early in the morning, the light in the room was minimal, causing his crystal blue eyes to glow eerily in the dark.

He stood, and then walked across the room to where he had hung a half broken mirror on his wall. He placed both of his hands on either side of the looking glass, palms down on the stonewall. He couldn't help but stare at his reflection and wonder to himself, who was this male starring back at him. Sure he looked familiar, but he seemed so far from recognition now. His appearance might be the same, but what happened to the person he used to be?

He found himself missing the days before the Goten, when he had first started sailing, or when he acquired his first ship and crew. He felt free, and able to control his destiny. Never mind the gapping hole in his chest where he'd ripped his own heart out, he used to be happy all the time. He used to be able to smile a lot, and joke around like his friend Inuyasha. But what happened?

It seemed that once Ayame had pried her way back into his life, something in him altered. Something inside him put up defenses and marked her with caution tape. This terrible angel, hideous redheaded beauty threatened his entire life. He could have been pulled back into the life of imprisonment, the life controlled at all angles by his grandfather.

Of course, he realized now that all of this was just a bunch of bullshit.

Ayame was not trying to pull him back, he was not going to lose his freedom because of her, and in fact he practically let his avoidance of the female control his life in much the same way his grandfather did. Everything he did, he was constantly checking to make sure it would not bring them any closer than they had to be, hell he even tried to push her away by feigning a love for the first friend she made in the Court.

"What the hell were you thinking?" he muttered to his reflection.

In the end, he only ended up hurting the only woman in the world who cared for him more than his own flesh and blood. And by doing so he let his happiness slip away from him, until all he could feel was the harsh wound in his chest cavity where he had once kept his heart.

And now she was going to die.

He smoothed his hand over his chest, starring at it in the mirror as if waiting for it to explode from the pressure his emotions put on it. They had already filled the hole that he could feel more than he could see, and they continued to pour out of him like water from a faucet.

He felt the heaving in his chest long before he recognized what was happening, and he balled his fist against the wall. His other hand clutched at his chest as he closed his eyes tightly and his jaw quivered. Searing tears poured from his eyes as he slid down to his knees, his head lolling against the wall after he let his hand drop. He sat there for an immeasurable time, the side of his head supported by the wall, his loud sobs echoing off the parapet.

He wept shamelessly, pushing out every emotion trying to force its way back in with every tear or gasp of breath.

He cried until his tears didn't reach his eyes anymore, and long after his voice was hoarse from his wailing. By the time he managed to return to a state of stability his breathing had evened out somewhat but for the random gulps of air he involuntarily took.

The first clear thought he managed to assemble in his mind was something along the lines of '_Shit, I must look like a pathetic four-year old throwing a fit'_.

Typical for him to think something like that. Anything less than showing no emotion but lust and anger was not manly, and manliness was next to godliness. Or, so he was taught as a young pup.

"It's fine," he said to himself. "I don't want that mentality anymore… so I guess… it's okay to…cry when I need to…"

To hear the words run past his parted lips was slowly ebbing down the pain in his chest. He hurried to hear more words spoken in his voice.

"And it's okay to admit I was wrong," he stated more confidently now. Two images, both of Ayame's face, one then and one now, surfaced in his mind. "And forgiving myself for it… is all right. I want to make it better and I want to fix it and that's fine too."

He spoke in short rushes, pushing out the words in much the same way his weeping pushed out his bottled up emotions. He became excited and resembled a small child who had just discovered the natural high you can achieve from something simple, like swinging on a swing.

"It's okay that I apologized… it's okay that I care about other things than just my pack, it's fine that becoming a strong warrior is not my life's dream! It's fine that I want to see the world, and it doesn't make me any less of man that I care about things other than producing strong pups! And it's all right that I still lo—!" He rambled, feeling the strong pain in his chest go away as he denounced all the beliefs his grandfather had pushed on him that had unpermissively become his second nature. His voice escalated in volume and the words came out fast until his last sentence.

He cut himself off abruptly. He thought about what he was about to say, running recent and past events through his mind. He smiled an awkward smile and calmed himself down.

"And it's all right that I still love my best friend Ayame," he said slowly and at a normal volume.

The ookami took his hair tie and put his hair up in the normal high ponytail, then put his headband on. Then he pulled on his black sleeveless kimono, put his chest plate on over it and pulled on his boots.

He smiled to himself as he approached the door.

"It's all fine."

* * *

Inuyasha sat uncomfortably in the meeting room. This time he was given the seat of honor at the top of the table where Sesshomaru normally sat. He looked around to the other people in the room. To his right sat Kagome, who was holding his hand underneath the tabletop. On a diagonal from her and one seat away on his left sat Ayame, who was staring at her claws. Next to Ayame sat Kouga, and across from them sat Sango. Miroku was not sitting at the table, but rather on one of the windowsills, looking out at the rest of the city with a look of concentration on his face. Sesshomaru was not at the table either. He was standing near a bookshelf, leaning against a wall with his arms crossed glaring daggers at his brother. 

The hanyou sighed and ran a hand through his bangs.

"Okay. Who wants to chew me out first?"

Sesshomaru pushed himself off the wall and walked calmly over to Inuyasha. He clenched his fists. Unclenched them. Clenched them again.

Then he violently grabbed him by his collar and hoisted him out of the chair, raising his half-brother up to eye-level. Their faces were very close to each other and he snarled at the hanyou, whose feet were only barely making contact with the floor at this point. But Inuyasha couldn't have looked calmer as he stared his brother directly in the eye. In fact, he looked almost bored.

"_You idiot!_" Sesshomaru barked using the language of his people while knowing full well that no one else in the room would be able to understand them. "_Do you even care about anything, any__**one**__ but yourself!?_"

Inuyasha chuckled, letting his head lull back before responding in the same tongue "_Says the man with no emotions._"

Sesshomaru growled his face contorted with anger. He shook his brother, almost gaining pleasure in watching his limbs dangle.

"_You __**will**__ fight damn it! Even if it means I have to force you into it!_" the older youkai barked.

Everyone stared at them in confusion, not quite knowing what they were saying and definitely afraid of what Sesshomaru might do while this angry.

"_…Onii-chan." _

The youkai flinched at the name.

"…_Remember when I used to actually call you that?_" the hanyou smiled. "_Hilarious, right?_"

Sesshomaru merely growled.

"_Yeah, I remember quite a few things from our childhood. Like that promise we made after Dad died. Remember?_" he asked, glancing back at the youkai.

"_I remember! What of it?_" the older Inu snarled.

"_Well, I saw the vision and I know that Rin and Jaken are important to you, regardless of what you say. I also know that I'm not going to break that promise. I may hate every fuckin' minute of this, but I won't break it. So you can put me down now._"

Sesshomaru growled once more, looking more annoyed than actually angry. He dropped his brother, not caring that he lost his balance and fell back into his chair, both legs dangling over the armrest. He ventured back to the wall he was leaning on to take up leaning on it once more, ignoring the rest of the people in the room.

Inuyasha dropped his head back, seeming like holding it up was a bit too much for him right now. He glanced over at Kagome, who he noticed looked just as radiant upside down as she did right side up.

"Okay, who next?"

Sango stood from her chair, her hands on the table. Inuyasha looked at her, knowing full well that she was going to come after him at some point in time.

"You have to do it. You can't be selfish right now. Not when people's lives are at stake. Everyone we know and love will die if you don't help!" she spoke, her voice as smooth as glass.

"I know."

"You know?" she whispered. "You know and yet you do nothing?"

"Who said I was doing nothing?"

The brunette lifted her head, along with the two Ookami. "Nande?" they all practically said in unison.

"You people hard of hearing?" he asked, tucking his hands behind his head. "I said I'd do it. I'm not gonna enjoy it, in fact I think I'll loathe every damned second of it, but I'm gonna do it. So relax, and get rid of those thoughts of killing me yourselves. It's unsettling when people on your own side want to kill you."

The three sitting at the table visibly relaxed, Kagome smiled a little, and Sesshomaru heaved an exasperated sigh.

"You could have told us when you came in you know," he said, the annoyance clear in his voice.

"Yeah, but I was curious to know what you had to say. I would of let all of you say your piece if Sesshomaru hadn't killed it by getting physical. Who knew you had it in you, ya son of a bitch."

Ayame placed a hand over her heart and sighed. "I'm so relieved."

"What now?" Miroku spoke up from the window. Everyone turned to look at him but Sango and Inuyasha. "What now, your majesty? What are we going to do?"

"Easy," he replied, closing his eyes. "We do exactly what I said before. Except now there's a special job I've got for one of you."

"Nande? What job?" Kouga asked, looking confused.

Inuyasha smirked, feeling a bit more comfortable now that he was more so in his element. "I'm glad _you_ asked my flea ridden friend! Because you'll be the one to do it!"

Kouga's face contorted into a frown, but he ignored the insult and continued to question about the job. "What is it?"

"Kouga, I'm giving you the job of sneaking into the Youkai Syndicate headquarters."

Everyone in the room, including Sesshomaru, just about screamed the word "NANDE!?"

Inuyasha's ears lay flat on his head and he looked pissed off. "Why don't you just light two sticks of dynamite and stick in my ears!? Kami, you loud motherf—"

"Explain!" Kouga bellowed, slamming his hand down on the tabletop.

Inuyasha eyed his friend, then turned to sit properly in his seat and place his elbows on the table and clasp his hands.

"This is what I'm thinking," he started. "Kouga, you're going to basically sneak into the YS main headquarters, and steal some information for us. Then you're gonna high-tail it out of there and meet us in a designated place. But not here. We won't come back here until this is all over, or unless we have no other choice."

Kouga shook his head, dropping back into his seat. "You're doing a horrible job of explaining this crap to me…"

Inuyasha sighed, and then placed his chin in one of his hands. "Okay, I'll go through this slow and step by step. First, you go to Japan. But not to a port close by the Syndicate. You must deliberately go out of you way to sail to a port somewhere far from the main headquarters. Then you have to make your way by land, to throw off anybody that may be watching. From the moment you step on land to the moment you step off, you'll be in disguise. NO exceptions. You sneak in to the records building, get us what we need, and get out. Simple as pie."

"Pie my ass! How the hell do you expect me to—?"

"Never mind that for now!" Ayame cut him off, leaning forward onto the table. "What are the rest of us going to be doing?"

"Well, you and this one over here are going to be going to the Americas," he responded, nodding his head to Kagome.

"The Americas?" the miko asked, looking a little bewildered. "Why the Americas? What's over there?"

"Well you both have experience over there and have got plenty of information sources, right?"

Both girls glanced at each other then nodded.

"Okay, then you'll be down there diggin' up on our pal Onigumo. Kagome, you said that you've heard of him over there right?" he asked, but did not wait for an answer. "Well, then there should be plenty of people there who know him and can give you dirt on him. I'm positive that he's got contacts over there too, and I'll need you to take care of the majority of them. If they don't agree to what you ask, take them hostage. If you can't do that, kill them. And if you can't do that, don't touch them. We don't need to start an alarm that would lead back to Onigumo."

"That's insane… He's sure to have all kind of high up guys on his side. You can't expect us to cut them all down!" Ayame protested.

Inuyasha smirked, tapping his claws on the table. "One thing you learn after fucking with those over-paid bounty hunters is that most of their alliances are made on the other side of the law. Dealing with criminals and outlaws are a whole lot easier than dealing with Lords, Ladies, Dons, Governors, and what not. And knowing the Americas, especially the Caribbean, most of his people over there are bound to be on the same side of the law that we are. They might be a whole lot more dangerous than the stupid guys that wear fancy cloths and white wigs, but they're a lot easier to kill off than you think."

Kagome and Ayame stayed silent, contemplating Inuyasha's plan and their roles in it. Then Sango spoke up.

"Well, what about me?"

"You?" Inuyasha asked. "You and lover boy by the window are gonna be going' to China."

Miroku looked up, finally starting to show interest in what was going on. "China? What for?"

"When I first met Onigumo, he had a lot of Chinese men with him and a lot of the goods he had with him were Chinese. I'm guessing that he was just coming from China when he came after me. He's bound to have a lot of people in China, just like in the America's. I'm sure there's more past the coast line, but the majority must be in the ports, still same as the Americas."

"You two will basically have the same job as Ayame and Kagome, just in China. I'm thinking that we'll have to worry more so about the his human connections than his youkai ones, seeing as the Chinese Syndicate wants as little as possible to do with the Japanese since the great underground war between the Chinese Panther tribe and our Inu youkai of Japan," he said this part particularly proudly. It was also noticed that Sesshomaru perked up a bit at the mention of the war, which their father played a great part in.

"Taking out the Chinese may be a bit harder, seeing as most of them might be on the legal side of the law and their absences will be noticed. But knowing you two, I'm sure you can get the important ones done. You have the luxury of not having to hunt down the targets though, seeing as I've got a wonderful list out of the papers I took from his cabin."

Miroku walked slowly to the table, taking a seat next to Inuyasha. "May I see the list?"

Inuyasha smiled at his friend and nodded his heads towards the middle of the table where they had left Onigumo's papers. Miroku took them and sifted through them until he found the list, then he got up and moved so he could share it with Sango.

"Brother," Sesshomaru called from the wall. "Aren't you forgetting something?"

"Keh, come on Sessh, I wouldn't forget about my own flesh and blood, even if it is only half my flesh and blood."

Sesshomaru stood against the wall, arms still crossed as he eyed his brother. "Well? What is it?"

"You and I have something… special we have to take care of," Inuyasha said while getting up and walking over to lean against the wall with his brother.

"How am I to break into the Main Headquarters?" Kouga asked, starring down at the table.

"Yeah, and how are we supposed to be able to find his contacts in all of the Americas?" Ayame demanded.

"Not to mention how we are supposed to dispose of his contacts in China," Miroku said, more so to himself even though it was a question for Inuyasha.

Inuyasha looked over the people in the room and smiled happily.

"No clue whatsoever."

"Nande!?!?" they all screamed in unison.

The inu-hanyou merely stared at them all, highly amused. "You guys are getting really good at that… did you train for it while I was gone?"

Kouga belted out of his chair and seized Inuyasha by his color, slamming him into the wall behind him.

"Are you trying to get me _killed_ dog-shit!? Sneaking into the Syndicate is like committing suicide! Nobody has ever managed it!"

Inuyasha shook his head with a small smirk gracing his features. "How can you be so sure?"

"Because no one's ever heard of someone pulling something so ludicrous!!!" the ookami bellowed.

The smirk widened.

"Exactly! If somebody was genius enough to pull some shit like that off, do you think we'd hear about it? That would be the kind of thing the Syndicate would want to keep hush hush, otherwise everybody and their mother would be trying it!" he exclaimed as his friends grip on the front of his shirt slackened. "And even if somebody hasn't tried it yet, that just means that you are about to make history."

Kouga snarled, and then released their newfound king. "You're insane."

"Ain't I though?"

"I'm not gonna just waltz right in, dog-shit. It's suicidal, and I'm a bit to fond of living to try it."

"Eh, you're a baby Kouga. As long as you look like a nobleman or some other kind of higher up, and you keep to yourself, waltzing right in shouldn't be a problem. The reason you're going instead of one of us is because you fit in a bit more with the rest of the youkai than any of us do," Inuyasha explained.

Sesshomaru growled under his breath, eliciting a chuckle from Inuyasha. "I'd send you Sessh, but you're a bit too regal to go. Besides, you're wanted in Japan a bit too much… I'm sure you and I have wanted posters hanging up all over that place."

He glanced over at Kouga, who looked a bit insulted. "Wolf boy over here is perfect because he sort of comes from royal blood anyway. He already knows how to act and how to carry himself as a… well, like a youkai prince. I mean that's basically what you and Ayame were back in your tribe, right? I mean, you were grandchildren of the leaders, right?"

The two ookami shared a look between them before nodding at Inuyasha.

"Okay then. You should know more about how to blend in at the Syndicate than we do, but Ayame can't go cause she's got too much experience in the America's for me to let her go anywhere else."

Kouga backed up from the two Inu brothers and sat on the table with a thud. "Kami… this is a bit overwhelming."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "You think?"

After a minute of silence, Miroku raised his head once more. "So I assume that you don't care exactly how we dispose of the Chinese contacts, just as long as we do it quickly and quietly, yes?"

"Exactly. Same goes for you and Ayame," he said, looking at Kagome. "Get it done fast and don't let word of what you're doing travel."

Both girls nodded, a look of determination in their eyes.

"When do we leave?" Kagome asked her hands clasped in her lap.

"I'm not sure. I've been thinking about it, though and I think that maybe we should leave at different times, so it's not as noticeable when we make our move. I suppose it doesn't really matter who goes first, seeing as I'm only allowing about a week for all of you once you reach your destination," Inuyasha replied, scratching his chin. "Well, who wants to go first? Any volunteers?"

The room went silent, all of them looking around at each other. With a long drawled out sigh and a glance at Sango, Miroku stood. "I suppose we could go first. We do have a lot of ground to cover after all."

Sango also stood, nodding her hand without taking her eyes off of Miroku.

Kagome and Ayame exchanged looks and nods, then stood simultaneously and said, "We'll leave next."

"Why not let us go next brother?" Sesshomaru spoke up from behind him. He looked over to his brother a nodded his agreement before looking at the silent Kouga.

"Alright, then Kouga will leave last. We each have until a weak after Kouga has docked in Japan. When that week is up, I'll send you a message containing where we're going to meet up again. Sango and Miroku," he called and they turned towards him. "Get your ships and crews ready to set sail in two days, preferably on sunset the second day."

The two nodded their agreement and sat down once again to speak amongst themselves.

"Ayame," Inuyasha said, looking at the red head, and then he looked to Kagome where his gaze lingered a bit. "Kagome. You two will set sail two days after Miroku and Sango. Be ready."

The hanyou turned to Sesshomaru, "We'll leave two days after the girls, and Kouga," the ookami looked up at the mention of his name. "You leave two days after us. Got it?"

Kouga nodded his head and mumbled "Hai."

"All right… I believe that is all I have to say to you people…" the inu muttered to himself, stretching his arms over his head and faking a yawn. "So if you've nothing left to say to me, you can move your asses and get out."

Sango was the first to leave with Miroku trailing behind her. Then Sesshomaru pushed himself off the wall to leave, but he didn't manage to get out the door before Inuyasha yelled for him to be ready to leave his house early the next morning. Kouga left next, then Ayame.

Kagome was headed for the door, until she felt a large hand tugging at her wrist.

When she turned around she found Inuyasha staring at her, his stupid lopsided but somehow still sexy grin plastered to his face.

"Did I do good?"

Kagome smiled back at him before closing the gap between the two and wrapping her arms around his torso. "You did great Yash. I told you that you had it in you."

"Keh, I didn't need you tellin' me that woman, I already knew," he replied cockily, resting his head on her shoulder while his hands found her hips.

"You're such a liar."

"But you still think it's cute, right?"

"Just a little."

"Then it's worth it."

Kagome giggled and walked him backwards until he sat on the table. She stood in front of him, her hands on his thighs with her fingers drumming. "You know what else I find attractive about you?"

Inuyasha smirked as his grip tightened on her hips and he pulled her forward so that their pelvises grinded against one another. "Is it my devilishly good looks?" he said in a voice a bit deeper than his normal one.

Kagome let out another giggle and made her presence between his legs even more known than before as she pressed against him. "Well, I like that, but that's not what I'm referring to."

"Then what?" he asked, the smirk slowly fading from his face as the lust in him turned his eyes a dark shade of amber.

"It's… the thing you do with your tongue… when you kiss me…"She breathed out, her hands slowly sliding up his front to wrap her arms around his shoulders.

Inuyasha bit his lip and dipped his head down to brush his lips against hers, then he pulled back just a tad so he could force out the words "Oh, you mean this?" in a hushed whisper. The next second their lips were locked in an open mouthed kiss that had fire blazing between them that filled them both with desire. He slid his tongue into her mouth to caress hers as their kiss deepened and her left hand tangled itself in his hair while the other found it's way to one of his ears.

Kagome began making sounds that were a cross between a moan and a whimper, which only served to harden the member hidden under Inuyasha's trousers. He pulled her even closer if possible, and angled his head for better access. She filled his senses once again, her sounds filling his ears, her wonderful taste on his tongue, her soft skin at his fingers, and the sharp scent of her arousal entering his nose.

"Hey, I f—HOLY FUCK!!!"

Kagome and Inuyasha immediately pulled apart at the outburst coming from the door. Kagome turned around, but Inuyasha did not even have to look to know that it was Kouga standing at the door.

"Every time," Inuyasha growled. "Every. Fucking. Time!" he yelled, accenting every word with a punch to the table beneath him.

"G-Gomen," Kouga muttered as he walked to the other side of the table. "I forgot my rucksack." He picked up the brown bag then made a dash for the door.

Inuyasha looked up to find Kagome starring at the ceiling, her face as red as a cherry.

"You know, it's cute how you can do and say the dirtiest things with me, but whenever somebody else is around you turn that particular shade of red," he commented as he pulled her close again and began kissing her neck, determined to not let the moment slip away.

After a second, she began to tilt her head to the side and her hands found their way to his hair and ears again, and they both moaned at the sensation simultaneously.

"Oh my, Kouga was telling the truth," came yet another voice from the door, this one sounding intrigued and a bit perverted.

"No way! In the meeting room!?" a scolding voice said.

"It isn't the first time they've been caught on that table," spoke yet another voice, this one a bit more indifferent and calm.

And from down the stairs, they could hear another female voice saying, "Oh my god, they're fucking _again_!?"

Kagome went stiff against the hanyou, her hands dropping to her sides and her face red once more.

Inuyasha groaned, ignoring the people now standing at the door watching them as he let his head drop to her shoulder. Then in a voice a lot like Sesshomaru's, but a bit more dejected he muttered "I'm gonna cry. I'm seriously about to cry."

* * *

"Hey! You thievin' kids! Get back here!" 

"Shit, we've been caught!"

"Run! Don't look back!"

Two teenage boys both on the scrawny side took off running with a middle-aged man chasing after them, a cleaver raised over his head. They each held grilled eel in their greedy hands, and the shorter of the two even had one in his mouth. They weaved their way through the midday shopping crowd, expertly dodging the cleaver clad man and the few Good Samaritan's that were assisting him.

"Souta!" yelled out the taller of the two boys. He lost sight of the younger boy and he frantically searched the streets for his friend. "Souta!? Damn it where are you!?"

"Kohaku watch out!" came a voice from his right, and then from the corner of his eye he saw a small but strong fist catch someone holding a stick in the jaw. The blow successfully knocked the stick wielder to the ground, and the owner of the fist retracted his hand and shook it out.

"Kami that hurt!" Souta muttered, then looked to his friend. "You've gotta be more careful than that."

Kohaku smiled, but it faltered when he glimpsed the cleaver-clad shopkeeper behind the Higurashi boy. He quickly grabbed the collar of the younger boy and they ducked down just in time as the shopkeeper swung the blade over their heads.

In the next second Kohaku jumped up and pushed his knee into the man's stomach, then pushed him back by his hair. He turned and grabbed Souta's arm, then they began running again. "Maybe _you_ should be more careful, huh? Ha ha—Oomph!"

Both boys smacked into a rather tall and muscular body. They fell backwards, Souta hitting the ground first, and then Kohaku fell, tumbling on top of him.

Underneath his friend, Souta pushed himself up onto his elbows with Kohaku sitting on his stomach, his long arms stretching back behind him to support his weight, his hands laying on the ground somewhere near Souta's elbows. The Higurashi boy was about to yell for his friend to get off him, but he just so happened to glance up to find a rather tall man with black hair and large circular blue eyes set in a horse like face.

"Busted…" Souta muttered.

Kohaku nodded his head.

"No shit."

* * *

"Mmm… a little lower Sango… Ah! Yes, perfect!" 

"Kami, Miroku!" Sango mumbled as she kneaded his bare lower back with the palm of her hand. "Your muscles are so tense. You need to relax Hun."

"Well," Miroku grunted out, reveling in the magic touch of his lover's hands "You do a great job of helping me out with that."

"Good," she whispered, and placed an open mouthed kiss on the small of his back, causing him to shiver.

"You're good at that too, you know."

"You've told me."

Sango pushed the padding of her palm into the bend of the small of Miroku's back while she sat on is backside (which was surprisingly cushiony). The shorts he wore were low on his hips and every muscle was defined through his back and arms.

The moment was perfect, considering the foul mood Miroku had been in since they had witnessed the vision. Sango felt that this was the first time they had been able to spend time together without tension in the air since the revealing of the king.

Knock. Knock.

The sound of somebody rapping his or her knuckles on the door floated to their ears.

Miroku voiced his objection to answering the door with a low-pitched groan as Sango pulled herself away from him. She walked over to the door and adjusted her kimono and waited for Miroku to sit up and pull his shorts up to a decent level before opening the door.

Once the door was open and she peeked out, she gasped and shut it once more.

Miroku arched an eyebrow at her. "What in the name of all that is holy did you do that for?"

Sango darted panicked eyes to the half naked monk sitting in the middle of her home and nearly died.

"My father is standing outside that door!" she whispered urgently.

"So?"

"So! So he's my father!"

Miroku stared blankly at the brunette.

"Forgive me if I sound repetitive, but… so?"

"I… Well… Just imagine how he'll react to me having a… a… half naked… strong… handsome… attractive… just down right sexy…"

"Believe me, I'm flattered," Miroku said to stop her rambling, which he noticed she only did when she was nervous. "But was there a point somewhere in that sentence?"

"Yes!" she screeched. "Imagine how he'll react to me having a half naked man in the middle of my house!"

Miroku leaned back on the western styled bed to place his weight on one supporting arm.

"Sango… baby… you're not a little preteen living in your fathers house. You're a grown woman; hell you're the captain of your own ship. Your father has no right to pass judgment on whoever you so choose to have in your home, especially if it's your significant other."

"But… well, you see… don't get mad… but there's this incy wincy itty bitty problem with that… I mean it's really really _really_ small…"

"What is it?"

"I didn't exactly share the news of us seeing each other with my father…"

"You didn't do what!?" Miroku whispered hoarsely, not wanting his voice to carry outside. "Don't you think that maybe now would be a nice time then?"

"No! He'll never go for it…"

"Well, you know what Sango?" he said as he stood up. He took a few steps towards his lover and reached over her to grasp the doorknob. "I don't particularly care if he "goes" for it or not. As long as we want to be with each other, it doesn't matter what anybody says."

Sango's nervousness melted away and she smiled at the dark haired monk. "Oh Miroku…"

"And besides, we've left him outside for a bit too long," he commented as he averted his eyes to the door. Sango followed suit and turned her attention to the door as his hand turned the knob and pulled the door open.

Standing outside the door stood a rather tall and strong looking man in his mid-forties. He had black hair in a short thin ponytail behind his head, and a scraggly looking moustache and beard. But his eyes were a nice brown that held softness just like his two children. Well, that is until they set sight upon the half-naked man behind his daughter.

"H-Hi Papa…" Sango stuttered nervously, waving at him. She only became all to aware of Miroku's bare arm still stretched out over her shoulder with his hand on the doorknob and his front still making contact with her back.

The man nodded his head, eyes still trained on the monk. "Sango."

Sango glanced upward to see Miroku staring at her father with a look of sheer determination on his face, almost as if he were going into battle.

"Papa, will you come in?"

The man grunted, then stepped forward, causing the two younger people to shuffled backwards to make room.

He stepped inside and stood, his arms crossed in front of his chest as he drew himself to his full height, doubtlessly trying to come off as intimidating. Luckily for Miroku, he was rather tall himself, and could easily stand up to his lover's father without being intimidated.

"Um… Papa, this is Hoshi Miroku. He's one of the captains in the court and… well, we've been seeing each other for a little while now," Sango spoke, standing in between the two men who each at least a head taller than her. "Miroku, this is my father and the head of the Taijiya family."

Finally Miroku gave a polite smile and bowed respectfully to the older gentleman.

"It is an honor to be able to meet you, Taijiya-sama."

Sango's father grunted again, his voice low and gruff. "Likewise, I'm sure."

"Uh… so, Papa. What brings you here?" Sango inquired.

The man's face immediately shifted from one of dislike to one of anger. "It would seem that your brother has made a fool of himself and gotten arrested."

"Nani? Kohakun?" she asked, using her old nickname for him. (A/N: To be honest, names like Kohaku and Miroku don't sound right when you ad the –kun to them, so what I like to do is mix them and turn them into Kohakun and Mirokun. See? Pretty!)

"Hai. He and that Higurashi boy have been at it again. But this time the people they've stolen from are pressing charges. Jinenji-san has requested you come speak with the shop keeper to calm him down, or you might have to pay bail."

"Oh damn. Kohakun…!" she cursed under her breath.

"Well then, lets go," Miroku spoke up from behind her. He had pulled on a kimono styled shirt, but left it open for the time being, along with a pair of sandals.

"Eh? Miroku?"

"Your brother needs you Sango. Come, I'll walk you down to Jinenji's," he said, offering her his arm.

She reached out for it with a smile, but paused and turned towards her father who was looking them over with curiosity in his eyes. "Will you go down there with us?"

Taijiya shook his head and smiled at his daughter. "When Kohaku moved out of my house, he became in charge of himself. It wouldn't be right for his father to come bail him out of trouble all the time, or he'll never learn independence. Now, if his captain should decide to rescue him, and perhaps reprimand him for his wrong doings, then that would be an entirely different story."

Sango smiled and nodded to her father as the three of them left her home and closed the door behind them.

* * *

Inuyasha and Kagome were walking along the main bridge and checking out the different venders along with Shippo, Myoga, Totosai, and the Houjo twins when Kikyo spotted them. She hurried towards them, as fast as she could in her high sandals. 

"Imouto! Imouto!" she called as she pushed through the crowd.

At the sound of her older sister's voice Kagome turned and waved. "Kiki-nee! Hey, what are you doin' down here?"

"Oh Kagome-chan, I told you this sort of thing would happen! I told you!" she wailed, holding onto her sister's arms. The rest of the men there watched the two women inquisitively.

"Calm yourself," Kagome said as she steadied her sister. "What happened?"

"It's Souta!" she whispered.

Immediately Kagome's mind turned to the worst possible outcome. "Oh kami, is he hurt? Dead? Sick?" when Kikyo shook her head to each one, Kagome arched an eyebrow at her sister in confusion.

Inuyasha mumbled to Myoga, who just so happened to be sitting on his shoulder "Okay, so if the squirt ain't dead, he ain't sick, and he ain't hurt, than what is she bawlin' her eyes out for?"

"The female human, although at times the smarter of the race, is a very complex being filled with conflicting desires and emotions," was the flea youkai's response.

Upon Inuyasha's other shoulder Shippo sat and leaned over to look at Myoga.

"So in other words, you don't know either."

"Precisely."

"Kikyo, what's happened to Souta?"

Kikyo sniffed and paused, the rest of the group all leaning in with anticipation. "He…"

"He?" repeated the twins.

"He…"

"He?" repeated Totosai.

"He…"

"HE WHAT!? SPIT IT OUT ALREADY!" Shippo shrieked, the suspense nearly killing him.

Kikyo shot a glare in Shippo's direction. "He's been arrested!"

The rest of them merely stared at her.

"That… that's it?" Inuyasha asked, giving the pale Higurashi sister a look that clearly said 'You've got to be shittin' me'.

"What do you mean 'that's it'!? My baby brother has been arrested!" she yelled at him.

"Oh my," Akitoki sighed. "For a moment there, I thought the worst!"

"Indeed," agreed Houjo with a nod.

"Why do you all act like this is not terrible news?" she asked incredulously.

"All of us here have been arrested before. Some of us have even had the displeasure of being in torture chambers before," Kagome explained, ignoring the involuntary shivers that came from Totosai, Houjo, and Inuyasha. "You might have to forgive us if we're not too worried that he's been arrested, and in _here_ of all places."

"Well, if you're not all that worried, then don't hurry down there," she said with a little annoyance in her voice. "By the way, Jinenji asked that you go bail him out if the man he stole from presses charges."

"Eh? Why me?"

"Because," the pale Higurashi said matter-of-factly "Jinenji said that Souta told him that he is now on the crew of the Shikon no Tama, and therefore under law he is the captain's responsibility. In other words, he's your problem now."

Kagome's left eye twitched. "Souta did WHAT!?"

Kikyo's expression lightened a bit. "Oh, so you didn't tell him that he could be on your crew?"

"NO!"

"Wow. And here I was thinking for sure that you did that behind the rest of the family's back. Gomen, Kagome-chan."

Kagome seethed, but not at her sister for the time being. "It's fine nee-chan. Now if you'll excuse me I've got a little brother to kill!"

Kagome stomped off in the direction of Jinenji's. However, the men she had been walking with stayed behind.

"Inuyasha…" Shippo called, when the hanyou's eyes darted over to him he continued. "Should we follow her?"

"Uh…"

"Well we have to," Houjo spoke up, grabbing his brother's arm. "She is our captain after all."

"Eh? Yes, of course brother!" Akitoki commented as he was dragged away.

Totosai folded his arms and heaved a sigh. "I suppose we should follow too, Myoga."

The flea youkai hopped from Inuyasha's shoulder to the older man's. "My sentiments exactly. Farewell Captain!"

"Hey, what the hell!? Why are you guys going!?" Inuyasha shouted as they turned their backs to leave.

"Well we can't just miss out on the chance to see how our captain's future mate handle's a situation like this. After all, this may be an insight to how you two will discipline your children later on in life," Totosai replied as he walked, scratching his head.

Kikyo (who was still there) and Inuyasha both began sputtering and turning red, although Kikyo was probably doing it from anger and not embarrassment like the hanyou.

"CH-CHILDREN!?" they both shrieked in unison.

Inuyasha's eye twitched in anger and embarrassment just as he ran off to follow them. "Children!? What do ya mean children!?"

None of them really noticed as Kikyo followed close behind, her angry gaze set on Inuyasha.

"Don't be so naïve," Myoga spoke. "Totosai and I both know that you know where pups come from."

"Ya damn right I know! But what's all this talk about kids!?"

Totosai and Myoga both sighed and came to a halt in front of their captain.

"Inuyasha don't be a dimwit," said the older of the two men. "Myoga and I both know that you have had sexual intercourse with Kagome-san."

"Inu-nii fucked Kagome?" Shippo naively repeated the phrase he had once heard Captain Ayame-san use.

In response to that the two older men nodded, but Inuyasha tore the little kitsune from his shoulder and held him at arms length. "I DID NOT FUCK HER!!!" (A/N: lol, déjà vu anyone?)

"Well what ever you wish to call it," came the voice of the flea, "You did it, and now there are certain consequences to your actions."

"Namely, the pups we mentioned earlier."

Inuyasha stared blankly at the two old men. "You think… that I got Kagome… preg—"

"INUYASHA!!!!"

Inuyasha turned around at the seething voice to find Kikyo practically glowing a threatening lightening blue, her hair had somehow come loose from its tie, and it floated around her. Her angry scowl completed the look of a menacing miko.

"YOU GOT MY SISTER PREGNANT!?" she shrieked at the top of her lungs, causing a few people to look over in their direction.

"Uh… Listen, Kikyo they're just jumping to conclusions… Kagome's not—AGH!" he cut himself off with a yelp as she picked up large butcher knife from a near by food stand and swung it at him.

"YOU SULLIED HER YOU BASTARD!" the miko yelled, the knife now glowing blue like she was.

"Now hold on just one fuckin' minute…" he said looking pissed, but she swung the knife at his head again, and this time he only had time to back up enough to avoid being beheaded, but he did sport a little cut on his right cheek that was starting to burn like hell.

"Uh… well, old friend I believe our Captain has some issues to deal with and maybe we should get ourselves over to Jinenji's," Myoga said nervously.

"Yeah! Go Totosai!" Shippo yelped as he hopped onto the old man's other shoulder.

The old man did not have to be told twice and he belted towards the end of the bridge, surprisingly fast for a man of his age.

"Kikyo… listen to me she's not pregnant!" Inuyasha yelled as he began backing away in the same direction his crewmembers had left in.

The miko merely snarled at the hanyou and started running at him, her miko powers feeding into her speed to make her just as fast as any youkai.

Good thing for our friend that he was a hanyou and not just any youkai, for he had the brains to not stay and fight, but to high tail it out of there the moment she took her first step.

* * *

**Oofie and Kagome dance together singing along with the word's of Oofie's iTunes play list songs.**

**Oofie: "Work it harder makes it better!"**

**Kagome: "Do it faster makes us stronger!"**

**Oofie: sigh, "I love Kanye West…"**

**Inuyasha: "Uh… what happened to the story?"**

**Kagome: "Short intermission!" **

**Oofie changes the song once more.**

**Kagome: "Oh god I love this song!"**

**Oofie: "The best, right?"**

**Kagome: "But god does it feel so good, cause I got him where I want him now! And if you could then you know you would, cause god does it feel so good!"**

**Inuyasha: "Why's she singing?"**

**Oofie: "Cause it's fun! Next song!"**

**Kagome: "I like this one too…"**

**Oofie & Kagome: "She ain't got no money in the bank! She be walkin' around actin' all stank!"**

**Inuyasha sighs and closes his eyes.**

**Inuyasha: "And now she at the party looking at me, hopin' she can get saved by me. I'm lookin' at her like I ain't tryin to save that girl."**

**Oofie: "Oh my god, how the hell do YOU know the words!?"**

**Inuyasha: shrugs "I borrow Kagome's pod thingy."**

**Kagome: "What? YOU WERE THE ONE THAT TOOK MY iPOD!?!?"**

**Oofie: "Uh… and now back to the story!"**

* * *

"HE DID WHAT!?" 

"Uh… come on Kagome… uh Neechan…" Souta said pleadingly behind the metal bars. "I was hungry, and there was no food at home! Plus I didn't have any money…"

Kagome turned a glare unto her little brother. "You! No talking!"

"Tah withle basthard neawy bwoke mah jah!" the man Kagome was speaking with tried to say while holding his jaw, which was definitely swollen.

"Hey!" Kagome spoke up sharply. "He may have hurt you, but I won't stand for you calling my brother a bastard!"

The injured man look angered, but he held his tongue when it came to insults. "Weth, I wanth thoo pwess chawges!"

Jinenji came up behind them in the high roofed room made especially for his convenience. He was a tall man with brown skin and many scars over his body. He wore his black hair in a high ponytail on the back of his head, which was shaped much like a horse. His eyes were large blue orbs that tended to flash red when he was angry or provoked. He looked menacing, but anyone who knew him could easily protest to that, saying that he was the living Buddha, regardless of his hanyou blood. Even with his profession of keeping peace in the city he only used force as a last resort.

"Miss Kagome," he spoke slowly. "I'm sorry, but according to custom, if this man presses charges Souta-kun will have to stay the week in jail and be put to work in the fields above ground."

"And Kohaku?" Sango said from the corner. She had finished talking to the shopkeeper who had to go back to his shop a while ago.

"The eel griller said he would drop the charges against Kohaku, just as long as you promised to punish him as his captain," Jinenji responded.

"Oh you can rest assured, I plan on doing that," Sango spat, hurling a death glare at her own younger brother, sending him cowering to the back wall of his cell.

"Sister… come on, Sango-chan you don't want to do that!" he laughed nervously.

"Oh don't I? If I don't, you can spend a week in jail and the fields with Souta, and the rest of the crew and I will be setting sail by sunset tomorrow."

Kohaku looked a little desperate now, rushing up to the bars to mimic Souta's position. "Come on Sango, you can't leave me here! You'll be gone for ever and I'll be stuck on this island!"

Sango merely ignored her brother as she crossed her legs and arms in her chair.

Kagome sighed and looked to the man holding his jaw. "Look, I can't afford to leave any of my crew here and we're about to set sail too," she spoke, ignoring the obvious look of hope at finally getting off this island in her brother's eyes. "Is there anything you might want to trade for his freedom?"

The man looked thoughtful for a second, then he let his eyes roam over Kagome's voluptuous curves. "Well, thew is _something_ you coulth dooh fo' me…" he grinned, his eyes filled with lust.

"Aw, hell! You get your mind out of the gutter dumbass!" came Inuyasha's loud yell from the next room. He could smell the man's arousal from all the way over there, and quite frankly he felt like making sure that the man's jaw was broken, and not just a little swollen.

"Wah wus thah!?" he yelled.

Inuyasha stepped into the room and grabbed onto Kagome's wrist. "What exactly are you askin' of the lady here?"

The man's face became flushed and he smirked as best as he could with his swollen jaw. "Well…for maybe some of this… and some of that… and definitely for a little of those…" he replied thrusting his pelvis forward and rubbing his arms a little.

To be honest, he looked utterly ridiculous and if Inuyasha had not been there, she would have told the man off herself. But of course, why do something someone else is so willing to do for you?

Said hanyou began growling at the man, and for Souta's sake he tried to keep his temper in check at least a little while telling the man "Show some respect! She's a ship captain, not some slutty wench!"

"You don'th haft thoo be a sluth thoo do somethin' for you bwothuh," the man said as if he really believed his own words, which he must have by the serious way he crossed his arms and regarded Kagome with his lustful eyes once more. "So, wah will ith be missy?"

Inuyasha growled and opened his mouth once more, but Kagome shut him up by sticking one of her fingers in it.

"Listen, I'm taken already and it goes against all my morals to sleep with someone I'm not with at the time, understand?" she said as calmly as she could whilst ignoring the strange looks she knew she was receiving from everyone in the room at the way she kept her finger in her hanyou's mouth. Said hanyou was a little shocked at first, but decided that he wouldn't argue (not that he could with something in his mouth) and simply nibbled carefully on the digit to calm himself.

The man held his jaw and grumbled a little, his eyes transfixed on the hanyou's mouth engulfing her finger.

_Probably thinks it's erotic, the perv, _Kagome thought to herself. "Is there anything else I could use to compensate you? I can refer you to a great healer if you'd like," she asked, her initial anger at the man's previous demand slowly ebbing away with every nip and bite at her finger.

"Tah healuh woulth be nithe…" he muttered. "Anythin' elth you can awffuh? Maybe somethin' valuable?"

"Valuable?" the miko repeated, then dug around in her pockets. She came up with a beetle shaped pendant she had been planning on giving her mother before she left. After a small while of examining it, she figured that she could scrounge up something better then handed it to the man.

"It's gold, and the gem on it's back is emerald. If you hawk it, you'll probably get something nice."

The man examined it and smiled, although it looked odd and contorted with his swollen jaw. "Othay. It'th a deal!"

Kagome nodded, then told the man about Kaede, where he could find her, and to tell her to heal him as a favor to Captain Higurashi. When he was satisfied, the man left and Jinenji proceeded to let both boys out of their cells.

"Aw, sis thanks!" Souta exclaimed as he nearly bounced out of the barred enclosure… and right into the clutches of one pissed off older sister.

"Thanks nothin'!" she yelled, grabbing him mercilessly by his left ear and dragging him towards the exit. "You wanna tell everybody you're apart of my crew!? Well fine! You're on it! And now, as your captain I command you to go to the Shikon no Tama and clean every bit of it! Every room, every table, every barrel, hell every fuckin' plank and board! We clear!?"

"Agh, yes! Just leggo already you're hurting me!" Souta pleaded, the last words that were heard, as he was dragged form the building.

Kohaku, a little more experienced with getting in trouble with his sister/captain, slowly and cautiously made his way out of his cell. He knew that having a confrontation with Sango was inevitable, but he figured if he could just get past her in this small space he could at least postpone the worst part until he was more prepared for it.

Unfortunately the kami must have been frowning upon him in that moment, because as he swiftly tried to walk past his sister, her quick reflexes allowed her to grasp his ponytail and yank him back towards her.

"And just where oh where do you think you are heading off to so quickly Kohakun?" she said, her voice dripping with venomess anger.

"Uh… I was just…" he struggled to come up with something to say, but failed miserably. "Please sister, have mercy!"

"Oh I'll show you mercy all right!" she spat and stomped from the room, yanking her younger brother by his hair so he'd follow and ignoring his little yelps as she did so.

Inuyasha, having been left behind once he let go of Kagome's finger, sighed and leaned against the bars of a cell. "Reminds me if when you and I used to get into trouble, eh Jin-Ji?" he asked, using the other man's childhood nickname.

The taller and senior (only by two months) hanyou nodded his head and looked at Inuyasha accusingly. "However, I seem to recall it being you talking me into those sorts of things. Similarly to how the Taijiya boy talks the Higurashi boy into their petty crimes."

Inuyasha laughed nervously and put his hands into his pockets. "Well you have to admit, I was pretty good with words."

"Or just a great con-man."

"Hey! You don't have to go and say all that now!" the inu-youkai spoke in false anger.

"But it is true. You tended to con me, and, when you could, Sessh-kun into doing what ever you needed to pull off your half-baked plans," Jinenji spoke the words slowly as he always did, making Inuyasha wince a little. "But I suppose that it's alright, seeing as when we were caught, you would always be the one to get the most severe punishment because it was really all your idea from the start."

"Yeah… I can't tell you how many times I've had shop keepers, Sesshomaru, kids from the street, and worst of all my own mother place that 'severe punishment' you speak of on me," he said, shuddering at some of the memories, then smiling at others.

"You wouldn't have to. I believe I've counted them myself, seeing as I was there every time," the older hanyou sighed, and began walking back to the other room. "But I suppose all that prepared you for becoming a King amongst thieves."

"EH!? WHO TOLD YOU THAT!?" Inuyasha bellowed, his face a mix of anger and fear as he followed his old friend to the first room.

"Ah, so I see the rumors circling around are true. You are to become King of the pirates."

"No! Well… I guess…"

"Funny, you don't seem too delighted with it. If someone had told you this when you were a pup, you'd have been ecstatic."

"Well excuse me if ain't exactly jumping for joy. With age comes experience, and with experience comes knowledge. And my knowledge is what makes me different from when I was just a pup."

Jinenji sat on the floor, and Inuyasha mimicked him across the way and against the wall. The two hanyous sat in peaceful silence, one taking the time to think about things important to him, the other taking the time to stop thinking all together, luxuries that neither had much time to do these days.

"Jin-Ji…" Inuyasha called, his voice hollow as he stared straight ahead of him while seeing nothing.

"Hai, Inun?" Jinenji responded, returning the use of childhood nicknames. ((A/N: It's the same thing. Inu-kun turns to Inun, but it's pronounce in-yoo-nh, for those who wish to know.))

"Do you… do you ever wish you could go back?"

"Go back where?" came his slow reply.

"Not where… but when… Like when we were kids and everything was simple?"

"Nothing was simple for _us_ Inun. I thought we both agreed on that."

"And we did. But it was because we were naïve. Back then; we didn't really know the meaning of complicated, let alone simple. I mean, I'd much rather be fighting for the sweet satisfaction of that sour look on that Shinbo kid's face, than for the very lives of pirate kind and the like everywhere."

"You have a point there," Jinenji agreed, digging his hand into his blue kimono and pulling out a small object, which he then tossed at Inuyasha.

The younger hanyou easily snatched the thing out of the air without so much as even having to look at it. When he peered into his hand, he out right laughed.

"Oh kami, you still have these old things?"

"Of course. I couldn't just throw it away."

Inuyasha held the dark yet transparent bag of marbles up in the light, squinting when one of the orbs inside caught the light and shined brightly into his face. "They mean that much to you?"

"With out a doubt. You talking about fighting for trivial things led my mind to the memory. They are my good luck charm now, so I keep them with me at all times."

"Keh, they're just a bunch of marbles," Inuyasha said with a sigh.

"They may be just what they appear, but they still hold their value. They symbolize the first time my conniving best friend really fought for me."

"I thought I told you to quit callin' me conniving'!"

"Old habits die hard."

"Apparently so, I should know more than anyone."

Jinenji smiled a smile of fondness as he gazed upon the bag still dangling by a drawstring from Inuyasha's fingers.

"You remember that day, don't you?"

"Of course, who wouldn't? I got the fuckin' beating of my life that day. But of course, I also got to taste real victory that day too. And damn did it taste good."

Jinenji grinned and tilted his head to the side.

"Better than ramen?"

Inuyasha nodded with a smirk.

"Better than ramen."

_

* * *

_

_"Inun," called a small brown-skinned little boy no older than eight. He sported a few scars on each of his limbs, and a bandage around his upper arm from the latest injury. He was truly clumsy, which was normally the cause of said injuries. He had a messy mound of black hair that he kept in a ponytail behind his head, and large blue eyes set in a horse like face. He wore a pair of trousers, which he had tied up to keep from dragging on the floor, and a blue kimono over it._

_Ahead of him, sitting on the ground against the wall of his home, bare tanned legs peeking out from his shorts (which were obviously a size to big and held up by a rope tied as his narrow waist), a boy looked up. He had unruly silver hair that stuck out in odd places, but was soft to the touch, and every single strand was the exact same length, excepts for his bangs, making him look like he had just taken a shoulder-length mop and placed it on his head. To go along with the silver hair, white cute dog-ears were present, and his exotic wild look was completed with rather large amber eyes. With his shorts he wore a red kimono styled shirt, which he had cut the sleeves off of himself. His feet were bare._

_"Oi, Jin-Ji! What do you look so excited for?" he called back._

_"Look Inun, look at what my mother gave to me," he said, taking out a black translucent back through which marbles could be seen. _

_"Whoa, is that what I think it is!" the wild looking boy asked, which you must of figured out was eight-year-old Inuyasha by now. _

_"It's my own set of marbles. I wanted to show them to you," the other boy (Jinenji if you don't know) spoke slowly. He almost reminded everyone he knew of an old man, with how slow he talked. "But Inun, I don't know how to play with them. I was hoping… I was hoping that maybe you could teach me?"_

_"Keh, teach you? Why don't you go figure it out on your own?" Inuyasha spat, folding his arms over his small chest._

_Jinenji looked silently at the marbles, then back to his best friend._

_"You don't know how to play either, do you Inun?"_

_Inuyasha growled a little, huffing at nothing. "Well it ain't exactly like I've had marbles to play with before!" he said shrilly, his voice still boyish and nothing like the deep bass one that it would one day become. _

_"All you had to do is say so in the first place."_

_"Since when does my little brother ever say __**anything**__ the first time around?" asked a slightly deeper voice from the door of the house they sat in front of. Each hanyou looked up to find a rather tall and lanky ten-year-old boy with silver hair similar to Inuyasha's, but tame and long down to his upper back and in a high ponytail. He wore a white kimono, with the kanji for strength stitched across it's back and sleeves. He wore black shorts just like the other two and no shoes. His eyes were amber like Inuyasha's but smaller and slightly less emotional, although there were feelings behind them still. If not for the extra tallness, the markings on his skin, and the cleanliness, he could have been Inuyasha's twin._

_"Keh, what do you know Sesshy-nii?" Inuyasha said crossly as he stood up, only really coming to his older brother's shoulder. ((A/N: Just so you know, when they get older, Sesshomaru is really only about two inches taller than Inuyasha. While Sesshomaru was born pretty lanky and tall, their father's tallness eventually kicked in for Inuyasha when he hit that awkward stage I'm sure I mentioned earlier.))_

_"Obviously a whole lot more than you two, seeing as I know how to play with marbles, and you do not."_

_"Will you shut yer—!"_

_"Can you teach us how to play Sesshy-kun?" Jinenji asked, stepping up to the tall Inu-youkai and holding out the bag of marbles._

_Inuyasha looked horror-struck at his friend asking his elder brother for help. It was sickening!_

_After smelling the anger practically radiating off of his half-brother, Sesshomaru grinned a little towards Jinenji, who in turn gave a little grin of his own once the older boy took the bag from him. _

_Said boy kneeled on the ground, and drew a circle in the dust on the stone road. Once done, he opened the sack of marbles and emptied it into the large circle. "There are many different ways to play marbles, but the way most of the kids here play is in the form a billiards."_

_"Billiards?" both hanyous asked in confusion. Inuyasha had already forgotten his anger and become more interested in how to play, the little bipolar mutt._

_"Yes, billiards is a game normally played on a large table, with nine billiard balls and one white one that you hit with one end of a stick to knock the other balls into six different holes at the edges of the table," Sesshomaru explained briefly. "But with marbles, it's a bit different. Do you see that these marbles in particular are all the same, except for color? There's a red group," he said, pushing the clear marbles with a red sphere in their centers to one side, "A green group, a blue group," he continued to do the same with the different colored marbles, "and a yellow one."_

_"Red, green, blue, and yellow," repeated the slow speaking Jinenji._

_"Hai, precisely. Now," Sesshomaru said as he mixed the marbles all up again so that they were scrambled inside the circle. "Your set or marbles enables there to be four players, but seeing as there are only three of us here, we won't need the third group." With that said, Sesshomaru reached his hand for a red marble._

_"Hey! I want the red ones!" Inuyasha called out, grabbing his older brother's hand. _

_Sesshomaru sighed, "And I suppose Jen-Ji wants the blue ones, yes?"_

_Jinenji nodded with a sheepish smile on his face._

_"Jeez, then I'll take green, and the yellow ones will be the group to come out," he sighed, then continued to remove the yellow spheres._

_Once the unneeded marbles were cast aside, Sesshomaru rubbed his hands together and took one green marble. "Each of you takes one of your color. This will act as the white ball I described in the billiards game. You will use this marble to knock all the marbles of your color out of the circle, but the marble you use to play with cannot come out of the circle itself. You may not interfere with another player's marbles, and if you do that's a penalty and you lose a turn. And those are the basic rules, and the one with his entire color group out of the circle first, is the winner. Got it?"_

_Both Inuyasha and Jinenji nodded silently, holding their individual marbles in their small hands._

_"Okay then, let's play," Sesshomaru said, taking his turn first._

_They played for a long while, a lot of frustration, a few scoldings from Izayoi about cursing, and a lot of self-gratification for Sesshomaru later, the older boy came out victorious, having knocked all of his group out of the circle first._

_"Stupid son of a—!"_

_"INUYASHA!" came Izayoi's stern voice from inside the house. _

_"Yeesh! Jin-Ji you finished with those marbles yet?" he asked, a little peeved at not being able to curse. It was after all his outlet for anger. Don't be so shocked, of course he started cursing young, otherwise he wouldn't be so good at it!_

_Jinenji popped the last marble in the bag and stood next to his friend. "Okay, I have them all."_

_"Great, now c'mon let's take a walk. I hate bein' stuck at the house all day," he grumbled, starting to walk with his hands shoved into his shorts' pockets._

_"Hey, Inun," Jinenji asked as he tucked his marbles away. "Why do you do that?"_

_"Keh, do what?"_

_"You always walk with your hands in your pockets," he replied, then mimicked his friend and put his own hands into his pockets. "It doesn't seem all that great. I'd rather swing my arms."_

_"Well nobody was askin' ya to do what I do Jin-ji," Inuyasha said. _

_Jinenji promptly pulled his hands from his pockets. "Well, why do you do that?"_

_"Keh, if you must know, it's cause my dad always used to say to me," at this time the inu puffed out his chest and slapped a happy go lucky grin on his face "Inuyasha, you walk so funny!" he spoke the words in a deep voice, imitating his late father's voice. "When you walk, you always got something' to do with your hands! It's like you can't keep 'em still! They fiddle with this and faddle with that! It hilarious!"_

_Jinenji laughed at his friend's impersonation, applauding how well he captured his father._

_Inuyasha bowed several times, "Arigato, arigato! Hey, I'll be here all week!"_

_Jinenji laughed more, then his laughter was cut short as a loud thud was heard, and he stumbled forward, holding the back of his head. Inuyasha could smell the blood dripping down his friend's neck, and he quickly kneeled beside him to examine the damage._

_"What happened?" he asked worriedly._

_Jinenji winced a little, "Something hit me. I'm bleeding, right?"_

_Inuyasha said nothing, and when he did Jinenji looked up at his face. He was facing something behind them, his guard was up, and he was growling. "Inun?"_

_"That chikushoume Shinbo and his little cronies are here!" Inuyasha muttered._

_Jinenji Turned around and saw that what Inuyasha said was true. There in the middle of the road stood their archenemy, a neko youkai by the name of Shinbo. He and his friends of a diverse assortment of youkai crowded the empty narrow street. Each of them was laughing, their faces and eyes smiling with malicious humor._

_Next to him, Inuyasha picked up the rock that had collided with Jinenji's head, and he threw it with such a force that if the youkai children had not moved out of the way, it surely would have torn a limb from their bodies._

_"What the fuck's your problem!?" he bellowed, his voice almost echoing in the near silence. "Jinenji never did jack shit to you guys!"_

_A girl to Shinbo's right, aloes a neko, stepped forward and yelled in shrill reply "You and that beast have done enough harm to the entire world for just being born!" _

_Inuyasha growled threateningly, "Shut your hole Karakai or I'll shut it for you!"_

_"I'd like to see you try you filthy blooded mutt!" came the response._

_Shinbo held his hand up, commanding silence from the group and they immediately held their tongues. He walked forward with a smirk upon his face until he stood just inches from Inuyasha, who he easily towered over. He glanced down at Jinenji, who looked back at him with eyes of hurt as he held the back of his head, blood trickling down his arms now as well as his neck and back._

_"It's too bad," he spoke, his voice rough. He looked at Jinenji but spoke to Inuyasha knowing that he would be the one to respond._

_Inuyasha growled, baring his fangs. He didn't have to ask what was too bad; he knew that Shinbo would say without having to be told._

_"It's just too bad that my throw wasn't hard enough. See, I was trying to kill the ugly beast, maybe then he wouldn't have to do it himself later on when he finally figures out how useless and stupid he is."_

_Jinenji wanted to cry at his words, but he held back his tears. Inuyasha had told him that if he cried then that would only bring Shinbo satisfaction, and he definitely did not want that. _

_"Take it back," he heard Inuyasha ground out through gritted teeth. He looked to his friend, and he found that his fists were clenching and unclenching, his claws puncturing his palm. The boy was shaking and his glaring eyes were flashing red, literally. "Take it back or you'll wish I'd killed you with that rock!"_

_Shinbo's smile only grew now that he knew he was getting to the hanyou, and he leaned in closer to the smaller boy._

_"Oh don't worry dirty-blood. I can put you out of your misery right after I kill off horse boy here."_

_Within a second Inuyasha had tackled Shinbo to the ground and beat upon his face with his fists. He released a guttural growl, not caring when his claws broke the skin under Shinbo's left eye. _

_The older boy cried out in pain and his horde of lackeys rushed to his side, clawing and pulling on Inuyasha. One of the youkai had come up with a stick used for playing stickball and sent the end of it flying into the side of Inuyasha's face, effectively pushing him from his prey and onto the ground next to Jinenji._

_"Inun!" Jinenji called out as the boy's head collided with the pavement. He rushed to his friend's side and turned him onto his back. He pushed the hanyou's bangs from his face to find a bruise there that was darkening quickly, most of it hidden under his hair. "Inun, are you okay? Inun!"_

_Inuyasha groaned and opened his eyes, looking up at his friend. "Do I look okay?" he muttered, his temper and attitude still present._

_He sat up, using his right arm to support him. He sent glares at the boy holding the stick. "What kind of youkai are you bastards, relying on the strength of a weapon to beat up an eight-year-old kid… pathetic…" that hanyou exclaimed. Then he laughed and got too his feet, Jinenji following his example._

_The youkai kid with the stick, having been about eleven years old looked offended, dropping his austere weapon. Shinbo frowned at the inu hanyou's laughter as he wiped the blood from his face onto his sleeve. _

_"So big and tough, inu mutt. Just like daddy, I suppose," he smiled when Inuyasha's grin faltered at the mention of his father. "But then again, what exactly happened to father dearest, hmm? Slain in cold blood wasn't he?"_

_"SHUT UP!" Inuyasha bellowed his face contorted with anger. Luckily for him, the group of youkai was not close enough to see that behind the anger, heartache lingered in his eyes._

_"Oooh, have I touched upon a nerve?"_

_"Inun… Don't let them get to you," Jinenji said, placing his hand on his friend's trembling back. He flinched at the touch. "They only do it to upset us. You even said so yourself…"_

_Inuyasha gritted his teeth, then unclenched his fists for the last time. With a large sigh exhaled from his mouth, the boy let his arms go limp at his sides and he stood up to his full height._

_"You're right Jin-Ji… come on, let's go. We gotta go bandage your head up," he said as he turned back towards the way they were walking. _

_Jinenji watched as his friend took the first few steps, then began to walk with him. They both ignored the taunts and threats whizzing past them, sent by the youkai group._

_They believed themselves to be home free until they heard the sound of running footsteps behind them. Without even looking back, Inuyasha shouted for Jinenji to run, but by the time the words had even reached his ears, the dark-skinned hanyou was pushed to the ground with two other bodies on top of him. _

_He hissed at the feeling of gravel pushed against his face, and he fought to get up but they held him down._

_"Jin-Ji!" he heard Inuyasha call to him, his voice strained and the last bit of his name snipped by a loud thud. Jinenji turned his head and stared in fright as his best friend was held against a wall and pummeled in the stomach with fist from three different youkai. _

_Jinenji could not just stand by and watch his friend, so he mustered up all of his strength and pushed the two youkai from him. After freeing himself he ran towards Inuyasha and his attackers, driving his shoulder into the side of one of them and pushing them unto the ground harshly. One behind him jumped onto his back and started choking him. He tried, but could not tear the youkai from his body and his head felt light as his air supply was cut short. _

_Inuyasha took the opportunity to push the remaining youkai, namely Shinbo, from him and introduced his knuckles to the side of the head belonging to the youkai choking his friend. Said boy slumped down, from Jinenji's back, his head ringing._

_Jinenji gasped for breath, doubling over to rest his hands on his knees. _

_"Arigato… Inun…"_

_"Don't thank me yet!" was the reply as he sent his foot into the gut of yet another youkai that came after them. "Persistent bastards! Jin-Ji let's get out of here."_

_Jinenji nodded, but as it would seem it wasn't over yet for Shinbo stood behind the horse hanyou and he pushed him to the ground. Before Inuyasha could step up to help, he had another two of the neko's cronies on him._

_Shinbo knelt over Jinenji, snarling a bit. "Oh… what is this here?" he asked, pushing his hand into the front of Jinenji's kimono._

_"H-Hey, leave that alone, it isn't yours!"_

_"The hell it isn't," was Shinbo's reply as he took the bag of marbles from the boy. "Ah, I see it's a sack of marbles. I've been planning on getting myself some of these. How nice of you to offer yours so freely."_

_"Give them back!" Jinenji shouted, pushing up from his place on the ground to grab Shinbo and take him down. They tussled on the ground for a while, until Shinbo pulled a dirty trick and slashed his claws across the hanyou's face. He called out in pain and backed away from the neko, giving him the chance to get up._

_Inuyasha looked up to see Jinenji on the ground and Shinbo holding the black bag. "Shinbo you filthy neko give that back to him!"_

_Shinbo looked towards Inuyasha and smiled. "G'night dirty-blood."_

_Before Inuyasha could ask what he meant by good night, he felt something heavy and sharp hit him in the back of his head. He stumbled around, and then fell to his knees. His eyes swirled around, but all he could see were blurs, and then all went black._

_When he came too he heard the sound of rushing water, and his nose detected the horrible smell of a mangy cat._

_His eyes flickered open, surprised to see that it was darkening outside, even though it had only just been morning. Or maybe it had been morning, and then whatever the hell hit him made him sleep until sunset. Whatever the case, his head was killing him._

_"Ah, so the dirty-blooded one awakens."_

_"Ugh… and how fortunate for me to wake up to __that__ voice," he groaned groggily, sitting up to find Shinbo and the rest of his "friends" standing around him. "Boy, do I feel bad for whoever you mate with cause their gonna have to go through it for there rest of their natural born days," he spoke flatly. "So what I miss?"_

_"You have to be an idiot," some kid he did not know said. "Here you are with a bunch of your enemies, and you're not even scared."_

_Inuyasha looked towards the girl who spoke to him just now, realizing she was some sort of bird youkai by the pointed shape of her head and the folded wings on her back._

_"You," he spoke, his voice still flat "are stupider than you look. If you've become one with the Colt de la Shinbo, then you should know I don't scare easily."_

_"He's right, the little mutt. He doesn't scare all too easy. Maybe we should fix that?"_

_Inuyasha winced a little, his ears lying flat on his head. "Karakai you'll make one hell of a naggin' housewife, I'll give you that. Your voice is perfect for the job, nice a shrill."_

_"Shut up!" she practically shriek at him. Her unusually high voice was her sensitive spot. "Shinbo he's insulting my voice again!"_

_"Shinbo," Inuyasha mimicked her, "he's insulting my voice again!"_

_"Stop it you dirty-blood!"_

_"Stop it you dirty-blood!"_

_"Ugh, I hate you!"_

_"Ugh, I hate you!"_

_"Quit!"_

_"Only if you promise to never speak again."_

_"Only if you promise to never breathe again!"_

_"Keh, ladies first," he said smirking to the neko girl._

_Unfortunately for him, the group didn't quite like his smirk, and decided to wipe it off his face with a well-placed punch to the jaw._

_Inuyasha took the blow, not allowing himself to be knocked onto his back. He wiped his mouth on his sleeve and found a dark stain there when he pulled away. When he looked up, Shinbo stood in front of him._

_The older boy kneeled down in front of Inuyasha, a frown placed on his features. "I don't like how unafraid you are," he said out right and plain._

_Inuyasha quirked an eyebrow as he worked his jaw a bit to keep work out its kinks. "Really? Seriously, why should I be afraid of a bunch of preteens just mimicking their parents' actions? I mean, it is your parents that told you to hate us the way you do, right?"_

_Shinbo stared at him coldly, then stood up. "Hold him down."_

_At once about five or six of the kids in the group pounced upon Inuyasha, and no matter how much he kicked and flailed and screamed, he couldn't break away from them. He looked up and found that Shinbo was not there, but the rest of his cronies were watching him, especially that damned Karakai with her disgusting oily blond hair and her crooked smile. Damn he hated her._

_The sound of shattering glass came to Inuyasha's sensitive ears, and in the next moment his eyes lay upon the sight of Shinbo kneeling over his struggling body, a large broken piece of tinted green glass at hand. He did not look at Shinbo's face, his eyes just kept a steady train on the sharp glass._

_"As I said, I hate how unafraid you are. It would bring me so much happiness if I could watch you suffer," he said as two of the youkai holding him down ripped open his shirt with claws, revealing his bare tanned chest and stomach. "But not just suffer in pain, or anger. I want to you see you terrified, and begging for your life. Because that is the only suitable emotion for dirty-blood like yourself. You can switch between anger and frustration all you want, I don't care. But you need to have a dose of fear in your diet too."_

_Inuyasha stared defiantly at the neko boy above him, the sharp glass now hovering above the piece of skin right between his eyes._

_"Hey, whenever you feel like wrapping this up," he spoke nonchalantly, even though his eyes were dead serious "give those marbles back. Jinenji is probably missing 'em."_

_Shinbo stared at the boy then jabbed the piece of glass into his forehead. Inuyasha yelped, sounding much like a wounded puppy as the older boy scraped the flesh away in a straight line staring in the middle of his forehead, and weaving it's way around his left eye and down his cheek. The glass actually scraped against his skull and it was all he could do to keep himself from screaming in pain. _

_Now he didn't bother concealing tears and they poured from his eyes relentlessly. Once the glass was pulled from his face he stopped thrashing around and gasped at the stinging pain of his wound. _

_"Open your eyes," Shinbo commanded. When Inuyasha didn't comply, he angrily dug his claws into the open cut in his face. The boy under him shrieked in pain, his eyes shot open immediately and he stared at the ceiling. _

_Shinbo took his claws from the open flesh then leaned over to look into Inuyasha's eyes. They were wide, and blood trickled down around them, getting into his eyelashes, but not quite in his eye. They held two emotions. One being shock (most likely from the overwhelming pain), and the other being anger. Fear was not in attendance._

_Shinbo growled, feeling anger becoming present in his own emotions. He shook the glass free of blood, and then slid it down the boy's chest. "Why aren't you scared?"_

_Inuyasha blinked, looking up to the cave ceiling with the same wide eyes. He shook his head, almost as if he was in disbelief._

_"It don't exist in me. I threw it out."_

_"Bullshit!" Shinbo cursed and began to carve up the hanyou's chest. _

_Inuyasha screamed, thrashed around and gasped from breath. His ear splitting cries echoed off the cave walls. _

_"You can't just erase fear! And even if you could, no mutt like you could do it! Or anybody so young!" Shinbo exclaimed, slashing up and down the boy's chest and stomach. _

_The entire group started to become uneasy, some of the onlookers backing away. Hell, even Karakai looked as if she was having second thoughts. _

_"Shinbo… Shinbo stop, you'll kill him…" she whispered._

_"Then let him die! Nothing that does not know fear should be able to live anyway!" _

_The kids holding Inuyasha down each broke away one by one, staring at their leader in fright. He looked deranged, his long black hair turning frizzy and his equally black eyes becoming bright with pleasure. _

_He bathed himself in Inuyasha's cries of pain, and nearly drowned himself in the hanyou's blood._

_When it registered to Inuyasha that the only one facing him now was Shinbo armed with the glass shard, he felt raw and drained. But nonetheless, he mustered up the strength to push the neko from him and shove the glass from his hands, watching as it shattered once it reached the ground. _

_Somehow he managed to get to his feet, staggering a little at the loss of blood. He had been painted crimson by the warm sticky liquid, it nearly covered every part of his body and it matted his hair, spotted his furry ears. His thin arms and small shoulders went slack as he looked down at Shinbo, his golden eyes hazed over._

_"You know, you are probably right," he said, his voice hollow. "Creatures that know no fear probably don't deserve to live."_

_Shinbo continued to stare at the blood soaked hanyou, his eyes wide._

_"But I deserved to be able to push my fears aside so that I could live. If I lived my life always in fear of the people and things that want to harm me, then I'd be forever scared."_

_Shinbo stared at the hanyou some more, then blinked and his gaze became harsh once more._

_But Inuyasha made his way over to him nonetheless, and held out a trembling hand. "The marbles, please."_

_Shinbo looked at Inuyasha through hateful eyes, but he pulled the bag from his pocket and dropped it into the hanyou's open palm anyway._

_"I'll never be afraid of you or anything or anyone else that wants to hurt me. And would you like to know why?" he asked, gazing upon the neko who still sat on the ground. When he did not respond, Inuyasha took the liberty of assuming that meant yes._

_"Because living a life of fear, is not really living at all. Even me, a hanyou pup, knows that."_

_"Your precious dead father teach you that?" the neko spat, unwilling to the let the mongrel get the last word._

_Inuyasha paused before taking his leave, and turned his head over his now crimson shoulder. "No. That's something I learned myself by dealing with people like you."_

_And with that he left. Slowly of course, more so hobbling, but he did leave. And nobody tried to stop him._

_Of course, once back on the street people did make a spectacle of him. He was an eight-year-old hanyou covered in gashes and his own blood waltzing down the street after all. But still, nobody tried to stop him._

_He made it back to the end of his own street before collapsing onto the cobblestone road where he lost consciousness. When he awoke he was in the room belonging to Sesshomaru and himself, in his own futon, and clear of blood, but covered with bandages. _

_Sesshomaru and Jinenji were both sitting on the floor next to where he lay when he awoke, and they informed him of how worried they'd been, and how they'd searched the entire city and not been able to find him. _

_Once Sesshomaru left to let Izayoi know that her son was awake, Inuyasha pulled Jinenji's bag of marbles out from the box laying by the futon and returned it to his friend. _

_"How did you…?" Jinenji whispered as he took the bag in his hand._

_Inuyasha shrugged, and then winced at the soreness in his body. "I didn't let him win."_

_Jinenji looked Inuyasha over as he sat in his bed clad in a new pair of shorts and a bunch of bandages. "You look like you lost to me."_

_Inuyasha shot an annoyed glance at Jinenji's playful remark, but smiled nonetheless. "Okay, sure I'm pretty beat up but I did not lose! His goal was to break me, even if it meant killing me, but his plan failed and everything crumbled beneath him, and I would say that since I didn't crumble and break and lose the heart to fight like he did, that I am the one who won."_

_Jinenji smiled at his friend. "You realize what this means, don't you?"_

_Inuyasha's ears perked up and looked at his friend through the corner of his eye. _

_"It means that you've finally won Inun. You finally showed that we're not weak, just cause we're hanyou."_

_Inuyasha blinked, then stared straight ahead of him. "You don't think that it'll all just stop though… do you?"_

_"One thing we both know is that it will never stop, but half the guys that mess with us will definitely think twice before coming after us once they find out that Shinbo lost the his heart to attack us because of you. We'll be a whole lot better off."_

_"Yeah… but what's all this we stuff? I don't remember you being around when I was being carved up by some dirty piece of glass!" he laughed, playfully jabbing Jinenji in the arm._

_"Okay, sure. But your mom thinks I got a concussion from that rock," he said, pointing to the bandages around his head. "And I actually lost a lot of blood too. That thing split my head wide open, and I couldn't even tell at first."_

_"So I guess you did put your share in then," Inuyasha sighed, trying to adjust the bandages wrapped around his own head._

_"Y'know…I like winning. Best thing I ever tasted."_

_"Nande? How can you taste a win?"_

_"Oh come on… you know, like how they say "the taste of victory"."_

_"Ah, I see."_

_"Yeah… we gotta win more often. Bet it tastes even better the second time around."_

_Jinenji laughed, "You must really like this "taste" thing."_

_"Of course! I just said it's the best thing I've ever tasted!"_

_Jinenji grinned and tilted his head to the side. _

_"Better than ramen?"_

_Inuyasha nodded with a smirk._

_"Better than ramen."_

* * *

**Prepare Yourself:**

**You've just seen something gruesome, but cute in the end.**

**But be ready for a drastic change of scenery. **

* * *

"Ah! Ahhh, yes! Yes! Harder!" 

"Nnn, like this?"

"Oh, kami yes, just like that! Don't stop, please don't stop!"

The voices echoed off the walls of the cave enclosure, and the sound of flesh pounding against each other was accompanied by the swish of water.

Two bodies moved against each other in the indoor springs, arms and legs wrapped around the man's torso and waist, and trembling fingers dug into the tanned skin of his back. His hands were steadied on the rock underneath the woman he was thrusting into, and she cried out as her back pushed up against it's smooth surface for the umpteenth time that night. The muggy water only just came past their hips while it stirred around them, lapping at their all ready hot skin.

"Mmm, damn it Sango," the man cursed as he repositioned both of their bodies, pulling her legs up to rest in the crooks of his arms and pushing his knees farther apart on the underwater rock they sat on.

Sango pulled the man's head down to catch his lips with her own, not bothering to keep in her moan when he pushed his tongue into her mouth. While their lips were still locked, she felt him push into her again, starting at a slower pace.

He broke the kiss as he grinded their bodies together to take one of her hardened nipples into his mouth. She moaned softly while loosing her fingers in his wet jet-black hair.

"Ah… Nn, Miroku…" she whispered, closing her eyes and pushing herself against him.

The monk switched breasts, taking her other nipple into his mouth to flick his tongue over and nip at with his teeth. Underneath him Sango cried out and arched her back to push her body closer to his.

"Miroku… I need you…" Sango whimpered as she slid her hand over his smooth and wet skin.

In response to this, he released her breast from his mouth and made to reply with her request as he picked up the rapidity of his thrusts. Soon the sounds echoing off the walls had returned, growing louder with their mounting pleasure.

"Oh kami, faster Miroku I'm so close!" Sango moaned out, gripping his shoulders with a firm grasp.

Miroku let out a moan himself as he let his head fall onto her water soaked chest, still pumping into her with extreme vigor.

"Say my name Sango," he said through gritted teeth, "Say it…"

Sango dug her nails into his dampened skin and bit her lip, instinctively squeezing her muscles as she felt the first waves of her orgasm spill into her body.

"Miroku! Oh kami, Miroku yes! Miroku, Miroku!" she hollered, complying with his earlier request as she was at the height of her climax.

When she felt Miroku thrust into her roughly, then hold himself stiff against her with his own muscles flexing, she knew that he had reached his end as well. Her vague thoughts only confirming it when she heard him cry out her own name in a strained a husky voice.

Just before his arms and legs were about to collapse, he rolled over to sit on the rock, pulling Sango into his lap. She rested her head on his shoulder, draping her left arm over the shoulder she wasn't using as her pillow.

"You see?" she said, still breathing hard. "I told you I could keep your mind off of what's bothering you."

At that, Miroku couldn't help but chuckle, his laughter reverberating in his chest. "Okay, so you were right. I feel a whole lot better now. Thank you."

"You are welcome," she said with a smile. Her eyes drooped closed as she let the combination of the spring water and her lover's embrace keep her body in comfortable warmth.

"I can't help but think about," Miroku started to speak through a hoarse whisper, "how this may be the last time we spend together like this."

"Oh Miroku…" Sango whispered back. She looked up into his violet eyes, saddened by the depressed look within them. "This won't be the last time. I promise you that."

"How can you promise me that?" he asked skeptically, his eyes averting to the ceiling. "It is true that we have some things that we have to get done together, but that does not actually require us being together."

"I don't care," was her response as she turned his chin back to look towards her. "Just because you saw something in the vision, does not mean that your life is over. You have to realize that."

Miroku shook her hand off from underneath his chin and turned his head away once more. "I realize that what I saw was the end of my life. And it's approaching quickly."

"I wish you would stop feeling sorry for yourself," Sango mumbled. "Especially when the reason behind it is as doubtful as this one. It's true that you saw that you will get hurt, but it is not definite that you'll die from it."

Miroku sighed and removed his arms from Sango's body and interlocked his fingers behind his head so he could recline comfortably. "I can't help it. Thinking it depresses me. And I can't stop."

"Miroku you are a pirate. You face the prospect of dieing every time you go out to sea. It can't depress you all that much," Sango reasoned. She laid her head back on his chest, unable to look at the sad expression that occupied his face.

"It's not dieing that worries me."

"Then what is it?"

The monk sighed again, something he seemed to be doing a lot of lately.

"Not to be captain obvious or anything, but death is the end," Miroku stated. "It's so definite, and final. I guess it the thought of reaching a point where I can no longer do the things I love to do that depresses me. Right now, in this stage in my life I don't know what I'd do if I couldn't keep being a captain in the Goten no Kaizoku, or if I couldn't see my crew or my friends… or most importantly, if I couldn't be with you anymore…"

Miroku closed his eyes for a second, and then felt Sango's lips make contact with his own for a brief moment. When he opened his eyes Sango's face was hovering above his own and she kept herself up with her arms while sitting on his lap.

"Yes."

The monk arched an eyebrow. "Yes? Yes what?"

"I told you I'd think about it," Sango whispered in a voice filled with a fondness for the man under her. "I thought about it and my answer is yes."

Miroku looked into his lover's eyes, utterly baffled for a few moments. Then it hit him like Sango's fist whenever he groped her.

"Are you serious?" he asked excitedly.

Sango laughed lightly, the traced the side of his face with her finger. "Of course I am. But only after all this is over."

Miroku's smile faltered a bit, but the look in his eyes was still hopeful. "You're saying if I survive, then you'll—?"

"Yup. I'd be honored."

Miroku smiled and planted a kiss on Sango's lips.

"You know what?"

"Hm?"

"I love you," Miroku said with a fond smile.

Sango stared at Miroku for a moment, trying to figure out if he was serious.

"And yes, I am serious."

At that Sango had to smile and she lay herself down on his warm chest once more.

"I love you too Miroku. I've always loved you, whether I would admit or not."

"Good. And you know what we have to do now?"

"What?"

Miroku smirked and looked at his fingers, which were starting to wrinkle. "We have to get out of this spring, before we turn into prunes."

Sango laughed and pushed herself off of Miroku. "Okay prune boy. Let's get your wrinkled ass out of here."

* * *

**Lets Clear Up Any Uncertainties:**

**Sango just told Miroku "Yes."**

**Which translates to "Yes I will bear your children."**

* * *

"Sessh-kun?" spoke a small voice in the dark. 

At the sound of his name, Sesshomaru turned his head from the view of the city to Rin standing in the dark, her lavender kimono hanging off her small frame. Even in the dark she looked remarkable to him, regardless of her messy hair and ruffled cloths. In fact, he preferred her that way. She appeared more natural.

"Why are you up so late?" he questioned, turning his gaze back to the city lights. He sat on the windowsill, one leg propped up against the frame of the window, the other hanging outside in the warm summer night air. For once he was shirtless (he rarely took off any piece of clothing unless he was changing or bathing) and the white pants he wore were wide, swallowing his long legs up in the flowing fabric.

The young girl walked over to the youkai and looked out of the window with him, her hands behind her back.

"I can't sleep. I have too much on my mind."

Sesshomaru grunted his acceptance of this excuse and wasn't surprised when the girl made a bold move to climb into his lap and sit with him in the large windowsill. She was tiny compared to him, and his body cradled hers without difficulty.

She sat peacefully and quietly, her small back against his warm broad chest. Both of them looked out of the window, unto the streets two story below them. Their home was a rarity in housing. Most homes were only one story tall, so it was easy for them to look down at the rooftops of their neighbors.

"I used to wish I was a bird."

For a moment, Sesshomaru was completely caught off guard by the random statement made by his small companion, but he quickly regained himself and managed an educated "Nani?"

"I said that I used to wish I was a bird," she said, leaning her head back against his chest. "When I was smaller, I used to wish that an angel would come and turn me into a bird."

"Why would you wish for something as ridiculous as that?" he asked. His voice held no emotion, but he knew that the perceptive girl would pick up on his curiosity and interest.

"My life used to be so hard. Ever since I can remember, it's been one hardship after another," she started with a soft voice. "I would wish with all my heart that I could one day meet an angel that could turn me into a bird because then…"

"Then?"

"I could fly far, far away… and I would be free," Rin whispered with a saddened voice. Sesshomaru secretly pined to remove the sadness in her and replace it with endless joy and happiness. But of course, he would not show it.

"My angel never came," she said in a voice containing even more sorrow then the last. Sesshomaru wanted to rip his heart out at the sound; almost disgusted in the lack of control on the feelings the small girl swirled up inside him.

"But I don't mind," she whispered happily. _She must be bipolar…_ Sesshomaru thought to himself as relief washed over him in waves.

"I don't mind because my angel sent Sesshomaru to rescue me in her place."

Sesshomaru began to think himself bipolar as well when sheer joy pulsated through him, filling him from the top of his head, to the tips of his toes. Rin might as well have been the eighth wonder of the world with how much of an effect she had on the usually cold Sesshomaru.

Said girl turned around in the youkai's lap, sitting on her knees between his propped up leg and the one dangling from the open window. On her face she wore a caring but determined expression as she stared into now warm golden eyes. She placed each of her small hands on both or his shoulders respectfully, and knitted her eyebrows together.

"Sesshomaru rescued Rin when Rin was in danger. He was the one sent to her by her angel," she started. She referred to herself in third-person, which Sesshomaru had noticed she only did when she was serious.

"Sesshomaru helped Rin like nobody else could. Now Rin wants to help Sesshomaru!"

Sesshomaru stared steadily into Rin's brown orbs as if he were a dyslexic staring at print on paper. He tried to read into her thoughts, but unlike his brother's, Rin's state of mind could not be deciphered simply by looking into her eyes.

Finally he gave up, and just asked her flat out.

"What in the hell are you talking about?"

"Something is bothering you, and I don't like it!" Rin said bluntly, dropping her third person reference habit. "Tell me about it. It may make Sessh-kun feel better."

Sesshomaru sighed and completely dropped the wall between Rin and his heart as he had done countless times before. He knew from experience that she would get to him, no matter how hard he fought it. In the end, giving up was always easier than watching his efforts crumble like the imaginary wall.

He hunched forward and rested his head on Rin's small shoulder, an action that his now free emotions pushed him to do. He wanted to hold the small girl in his arms, but that went far beyond his boundaries (or in other words, he wasn't quite ready for it) and he would not bring himself to wrap his arms around her small frame. Well, not yet anyways.

Rin took the opportunity to comb through his silken silver locks with her fingers, an act she only had been allowed to do twice, and only because it comforted him a great deal, and just relaxed him enough to get the youkai to start talking.

"I'm worried about Inuyasha," were the words that came out of his mouth. His voice was alien to all but Rin and the one he spoke of in it's emotional sound. The stress, worries, and sheer love he had for the girl and his brother poured into the baritone resonance.

"Is it about the vision you told me about?" she asked quietly, still gliding her small digits through his long silver mane.

He nodded with closed eyes.

"He says that he will take his place as King of the Pirates."

"Well, isn't that good?"

"It would be," he said, "if that's what he wanted."

"He doesn't want to be king? Did he say that?"

Sesshomaru nodded once more.

"But if it's his choice to go against what he wants, then why worry? He's probably only doing it because he feels it's his responsibility."

"Exactly!" Sesshomaru hissed, sounding angry now. "I am a hypocrite for saying this, but that should not be the reason why he chooses to take on his role as the King! It is okay if he decides to do it with responsibility in mind, but only if he decides to do it because he _wants_ to take on that responsibility."

Rin was silent for a moment, mulling over what her captain had said. When she seemed to have found a reasonable answer, she opened her mouth to speak once more.

"Have you told him that?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because it would not matter."

"Well why wouldn't it matter?"

"Because he is Inuyasha, and I am Sesshomaru."

She paused, and then spoke skeptically.

"I'm not following…"

Sesshomaru heaved a sigh, a little irritated that he would have to explain his reasoning.

"Inuyasha is Inuyasha, and Sesshomaru is Sesshomaru. We both think differently and react to things differently. But one thing we both have in common is our ignorance. We both believe things to be unreasonable or irrational if we have not discovered it and understood it ourselves."

"Okay, so he is he, and you are you," Rin summarized his statement.

"Yes, exactly. That is why he's the kind of person who will pull off the things he does, because he understands his different schemes and plans, and therefore believes and knows that if he can think it, he can do it. That is also why I am the type of person that thinks of the consequences and has them in mind when I execute my plans and such because I understand that if I don't I will fail, and therefore believe and know that if I'm careful and go about things the right way, I can obtain and achieve anything I want."

"Yes, I understand that. But how does it tie back to the situation with Inuyasha-kun?" Rin asked quietly while using her fingers to massage his scalp.

"Hmmmm," the youkai hummed deep in his throat, concentrating on the movement of Rin's fingers across his head.

"I, Sesshomaru, understand that Inuyasha should only become Pirate King if that is what he wants. But Inuyasha does not understand that. If I tell him, he will not have discovered this on his own, and it will mean nothing to him and he will not take it to heart. And I know that if he does not have a reason he believes is worth doing this for, something that he would want to do this for, then he will surely fail."

"Ah… I see," Rin whispered.

"I wish I could stop worrying about it," Sesshomaru said in a melancholy voice.

"You can't. Inuyasha-kun is Sessh-kun's baby brother. You worry after him for the rest of your lives. And he'll worry about you too."

In that moment, Sesshomaru had felt closer to Rin than any other person. It pushed him to do something that he'd never done to anybody else, not even the women he'd been with in his lifetime.

He lifted his head from her shoulder, watching her hands fall from his hair and lifting one of his own to cup the side of her face. Then he leaned up, and pressed his lips to her forehead, not minding that some of her bangs got in the way.

The kiss was brief, but his affection for the girl was definitely communicated through his warm soft lips. When he pulled away, he scooped a small shocked Rin up in his arms, and carried her to his rarely used bed. He lay down, pulling a blanket over himself and his companion, and pulled her into a warm embrace.

"Arigato, tenrai sukuinushi," he said affectionately.

Rin smiled, and snuggled up to Sesshomaru's much larger, warm body.

"Kanmu, Sesshomaru-kun!" she replied before drifting off to sleep in the youkai's arms.

* * *

**Oofie: "And now it's over! Woo! That was super long."**

**Inuyasha: "Yeah."**

**Kagome: "Agreed."**

**Oofie: "What, that's it? No arguing or sitting?"**

**Kagome: "Nope."**

**Inuyasha: "Not today."**

**Oofie: "Hm. Well. Oh."**

**Inuyasha: "Yup."**

**Kagome: "Indeed."**

**Oofie: "Okay, then lets respond to some reviews."**

**Review Replies:**

_MoonDemoness468__: I'm glad you liked the last chapter, hopefully you like this one too, even though I kinda feel like the plot is losing itself in this chapter. Yeah, it's sad that they could possibly die. And as you can see, Miroku's kinda taking it hard. But he's gonna keep his head up, as will Ayame until the very end, whether they die or not. _

_LoVe23__: Well, here we are again and there's yet another lemon. That was just me being spontaneous by the way, I wasn't planning on putting that there, but eh, que sera sera. Glad you enjoyed the other one, which made me happy. Inu's back in this chapter, and he's got a plan! Woo! As for your earlier comment about what will make him come back, well… I have nothing to say to it. Lol, you'll just have to keep reading, seeing as I didn't really include why he "came back". I'm also glad that you think I'm keeping up the suspense, because that's exactly what I want. It's about to get a bit more action packed in a second, and I hope you like that as well. Anywho, thanks for the review! _

_hotheadpunklovesyasha__: Thanks a lot, I love when people tell me my story's great, lol. And sure, go ahead and recommend this if you like. Lol, I've never had a story of mine advertised in another story (so far as I know) before, but I welcome the experience. I hope you like this chapter and thanks for the review!_

**Inuyasha: "You've been getting less reviews lately."**

**Oofie: "Shut up."**

**Kagome: "Yeah he's right… less and less…"**

**Oofie: "Shut. Up."**

**Inuyasha: "Yup, less and less…"**

**Oofie: "…"**

**Kagome: "Less and less and less…"**

**Inuyasha: "Mmhmm."**

**Oofie: "SHUT UP! Damn it, SHUT UP!!!"**

**Kagome: "I feel we've touched a nerve…"**

**Inuyasha: "Uh-huh, me too."**

**Oofie: "Whatever, I'm going home guys."**

**Inuyasha: "Huh?"**

**Oofie: "Later."**

**Oofie leaves.**

**Kagome: "… What just happened?"**

**Inuyasha: "No idea… and now, I don't care."**

**Kagome glares at Inuyasha.**

**Inuyasha: "What!?"**

**Kagome sighs and grabs Inuyasha's arm.**

**Kagome: "Come on let's go"**


	9. Pirates and Their Promises

**Oofie: "I have done it! I've gotten past the dreaded Parental Unit and finished up another chappie! It required some sneaking, but I've done it damn it!"**

**Inuyasha: "Ooooh, I should tell your mother!"**

**Oofie: "Eh, she doesn't care. It's my step dad who grounded me, the evil little prick."**

**Kagome: "Oh come on, he can't be that bad."**

**Oofie: "You're probably right. But seeing as I feel like sulking, and am entitled to the right to do so as a woman, I'm going to say that it is."**

**Inuyasha: "On a brighter note, I've discovered that you can add your own ingredients to instant ramen!"**

**Kagome: "…"**

**Oofie: "Fuck the what Inuyasha…"**

**Inuyasha: "Seriously! Yesterday I was eating my ninja food and Kaede droped some spices in there by accident. I tried it, and it was even better than before! Since then I've been adding all kinds of ingredients in there and it's like I've discovered an entire universe of flavors that are all ramen based!"**

**Oofie: "Holy shit somebody call Rachael Ray, Inuyasha's discovered a quick and easy custom meal gold mine…"**

**Kagome: "Haha, shut up Oofie, I like Rachael Ray!"**

**Oofie: "Hey, I never said she was a bad person. In fact, she's quite refreshing. But that's off topic… we need to start the chapter, like now. Whoever's doing disclaimer, do it now, cause there isn't any vocab today."**

**Kagome: "Inuyasha?"**

**Inuyasha: "Oofie doesn't own me or my oober cool ramen discoveries!"**

**Pirates and Their Promises**

A seven-year-old boy sat alone in the middle of his home, awaiting the return of his stepmother who was to bring groceries. Even though he was a growing boy full of energy he sat patiently. One of his legs bounced as he sat on the low table in the middle of the room. He was patient, but unable to keep still as his thin leg hopped up and down in place.

He was a beautiful boy with fair skin, long silver hair down past his shoulders, now in a low ponytail, and golden eyes. His ears were pointed and he sported markings on his cheeks along with a crescent moon on his forehead. He wore a simple blue kimono with a pair of gray pants that had been cut into shorts.

Little Sesshomaru was bored out of his mind.

But he would not let it show.

Judging by his idiot brother who wore his emotions on his sleeve, showing emotion was about as useless and pointless as a pack mule with four broken legs. So even though he was bored he would keep it inside, until said idiot brother showed up with the other hanyou to act as playmates, seeing as his were all quite busy at the moment.

It would seem that his silent prayers were answered as the door banged open and his brother stumbled in on scrawny legs sporting two scraped knees. His silver hair jutted out in spikes all over the place as he had just hacked at it yesterday, determined to keep his youkai tresses from becoming too long lest he resemble a girl (a habit he would not grow out of until he turned twelve). But instead of bounding in with the young horse by his side like usual, he staggered in, one of his hands balled into a fist as he rubbed his eyes. Tears were visible running down his cheeks in streams and an unashamed wail emitted from his open mouth.

"Inuyasha?" Sesshomaru called as he stood up, allowing his worry to reach his voice and eyes.

The five year old stopped wailing and looked up with lost and hurt eyes full of tears. He sniffed and hiccupped in succession for a minute or two, then ran full force at his brother, knocking him down as he wrapped his small arms around his middle.

The two boys fell to the ground, Sesshomaru landing against the table and Inuyasha on top of him, his face buried in his brother's shirt.

The older boy looked down at his brother in concern and surprise. He did not normally just burst into the room crying. Hell, he only cried in front of his mother. Something must have really upset him to cause a reaction like this.

Sesshomaru placed a hand on his brother's head, stroking the soft-cropped silver hair.

"Inuyasha… what happened? Did somebody hurt you?"

At this, the boy seemed to only wail louder, and pull the older boy even closer.

"Inuyasha tell me—"

The boy screamed something into his brother's shirt, muffling it up and making the sound undecipherable.

"I can't understand you…"

Inuyasha looked up at Sesshomaru, his eyes red and puffy with streams of water still trickling down his cheeks. His bottom lip trembled and his face contorted with pain.

He squeezed his eyes shut and then yelled the most horrid thing Sesshomaru had ever heard from the boy.

"FATHER'S DEAD!"

* * *

"Hey… Sessh…"

Sesshomaru clenched at the warmth in his arms, curling up to it and shaking his head at the noise trying to wake him.

"Oh kami…" the voice snickered, seemingly amused.

The youkai felt a nudge between his shoulder blades, but ignored it… until it became hard and repetitive. He solved the problem by rolling onto his back, the warm thing still enclosed safely in his grasp.

In between the waking world and the slumbering one, he could not tell exactly where he was, or what he was holding, but he felt that he didn't want to leave or ever let it go. The object was warm and soft, and smelled of cherries. It was like heaven, condensed into something he could grasp.

He heard a noise to his right, but ignored it as best he could. Unfortunately his body was starting to give way to consciousness, and he could distinguish the noise as the most annoying one he'd ever heard so early in the morning.

"Oi, jackass!" Inuyasha chuckled while shaking his brother's shoulder. "I told you to get yer ass up early. You can snuggle later, we got shit to do!"

Sesshomaru slowly opened his eyes to give Inuyasha a look that was anything but amused. "What the hell do you mean "snuggle"?"

Inuyasha's grin grew ten times in size as he fought to hold in a snigger and nod his head towards Sesshomaru's chest.

The youkai glanced down towards his chest to find a black mass of messy hair. His grogginess prevented anything in his mind to click as he stared at the hair, then he decided to lift it off of his body. He was a little surprised to find that the hair was attached to a head, which had a beautiful face with a dazed expression on it.

"Oh... It's you…" he said, starring into Rin's half asleep eyes.

Rin looked at him questioningly, opening and closing her mouth for a second before words actually came out of it.

"Fluffy why are you pulling my hair?"

Inuyasha could no longer hold in his laughter and her burst with the force of the humor in the situation. Backing into the wall behind him, he wiped his eye of one stray tear that had escaped in his high-spirited mirth.

At that the oldest brother pushed Rin off of his body (gently of course) and stood up out of bed, infuriated that his brother would even think of venturing into his home and laughing at him. "If you don't shut that hole in your face I stuff my fist into it Inuyasha!" he growled.

The laughs died down after that, Inuyasha knowing when it was time to stop. "You never were a morning person," the hanyou replied, turning around towards the door. "Hurry up, dumbass. I told you yesterday that we had shit to take care of early in the morning."

Sesshomaru watched his brother leave, and then slammed the door in a rare act of violent rage. He stood there seething for a moment before he heard someone clearing his or her voice behind him.

He turned to find Rin sitting up in his bed, her night kimono hanging off one shoulder as she hugged the sheets to her chest with one hand and held her weight on the other. With the sun pouring through the window, she looked like an angel dressed in white and the picture of innocence.

"I sort of need to go out that door," she mumbled, blinking the sleep away.

With a roll of the eyes the captain opened the door for her and she scrambled out of bed, dragging the sheet with her, and out the door.

* * *

The sun was barely in the sky, and yet it was already becoming scorching hot. The days on this island would only continue to get hotter still as they started to move further into the early months of summer. The sands on the beach were starting to heat up as footprints made indentations in the ground, trailing themselves up along the coastline. There were two pairs, the larger of the two were on the left and more inland, while the smaller were on the right and closer to the crystal blue waves.

If one were to follow the footprints they would soon discover two ookami youkai walking together, one redhead, and one with black hair. If one were to come closer still, they would be able to hear the words drifting between the two…

"So, what have you been thinking about?" came the lighter of the two voices.

"A lot of things," said the masculine one. "I feel like I've spent years trying to run from the one thing I hate most… only to become that thing through my efforts."

"Its not _that_ bad…" the redhead whispered, not noticing her drop in volume.

"Yeah, it is. I haven't done the things that I knew in my gut were right. And that's as bad as it gets."

"Well what things do you feel you should have done?"

"I should have known that I can't run from things like my grandfather," he said with a sigh. "I shouldn't have left because I didn't want him to control my life, but because _I_ wanted to be the one to control it."

He stopped, and looked over to the redhead through cerulean eyes full of apologetic sorrow.

"Most of all… I should have done right by you. I can live with the other mistakes easily. But this one… This one eats me up inside."

The female's breath hitched in her throat and she only just had enough to expel a single word.

"Kouga…"

"Apologizing isn't enough. If it weren't for me, you'd be living a completely different life right now. You'd be an honored leader of a great ookami clan, and you wouldn't have to fight for people who don't give a damn about anything but themselves and to preserve something I threw you into, something you had no choice but to be apart of…" he rambled on for a moment, then abruptly stopped and looked over her head towards the ocean. "I'd do anything to make this better."

Ayame watched her old friend stare awkwardly at the blue waters, a light blush on his cheeks. She understood that he was not speaking of the harm he'd done her before, but of the vision they had witnessed. He probably felt that it was his fault that she would die soon and was beating himself up over it, even if she had come to terms with her fate the day she had found out.

He had grown so much since they had first parted ways, physically, mentally, and most of all emotionally. And as she watched him, the slight breeze pulling at his ponytail, she couldn't help but realize that her love for her best friend had never once faltered, despite the pain he had caused. Much to her astonishment, she could easily tell that his love for her had never disappeared, but more so lay dormant inside him like so many of his thoughts and feelings.

It made her feel like her best friend had returned to her.

Like she was whole again.

Without a word she wrapped her arms around his neck and pushed herself against him in a firm hug. He stumbled back; more so from surprise than from the force of which she hit him. It took a minute of staring over her head at the blue sky and feeling her warmth against him for him to realize what was happening, then it didn't take more than a second for him to wrap his arms around her middle and nuzzle her neck with his nose.

Ayame could cry at how happy she felt in that moment, taking in his scent and laughing.

"You smell just the same. You've grown so much, but your scent's just the same," she said smiling.

At this Kouga had to laugh a little. "You remember how I smell?"

She nodded.

"Your scent's always been just like a forest. Like trees and the Earth."

"Apricots."

"Nani?" Ayame asked, leaning back a little so she could see him.

"Ayame Apricot. It's your scent. Or at least, that's what you smell like to me, Aya-chan," he replied, glancing up at the sky once more.

"Aya… chan…" she repeated slowly.

"Eh? Oh," he looked around nervously, stepping back from their hug and drumming his fingers on his thighs. "I thought maybe we were on good enough terms for me to call you that again…"

Ayame watched him with her piercing emerald gaze and a smile crept upon her lips.

"I love you, Kouga-kun."

His breath hitched in the back of his throat as his eyes grew wide and his arms dropped down to his sides in shock.

Ayame merely smiled once more, tilting her head to the side.

"You're my best friend, always and forever."

Kouga stood there in paralysis, his black hair waving in the breeze. He opened his mouth, but the words just didn't seem to come.

The female captain took hold of his hand and interlocked their fingers. His hand was rough against her rather smooth one, and much larger in comparison, but they seemed to mesh together perfectly, just as they had when they were pups.

"It's okay," she replied to his silence. "You don't have to say anything. Just being here is enough."

Only once Ayame nudged him forward did he remember to move, and with it his oxygen intake returned. They continued their way down the beach with their hands swaying between them.

_I love you too, Aya-chan_ Kouga thought.

_And one day, I'll find the perfect way to tell you._

* * *

"Are you planning on telling me what part I'm going to play in the plan!?"

"Eventually!"

"What does that mean!?"

"Sooner or later, in due course, in the long run, ultimately!" yelled one voice to the other, then it separated it's sentences with a hearty chuckle. "You know, that sort of thing!"

"You are testing my nerves baby brother!" the other voice yelled out in response.

Two streaks of silvery-white were darting through the thick forests of the island. One of which lagged lightly behind the other, as if in pursuit. Perhaps if the two blurs had slowed down a bit, you might be able to recognize them as the Takahashi brothers, but as of right now they are moving pretty quickly. So let's just call them blur number 1, and blur number 2.

Brownie points to whomever can ascertain which blur corresponds to which brother.

"Do you see her!?" Blur 2 called out to its companion as they made their way through the forests, dodging all sorts of wildlife and the like.

"We'll probably smell her before we see her!" Blur 1 responded, glancing this way and that to find their target.

"Which means no, you don't see her!"

"Shut that hole in your face!" Blur 1 barked out in annoyance.

With a snort of satisfaction, Blur 2 continued his sprint, dodging a boulder, and turning sideways just in time to perform a one handed cartwheel through a rather narrow space between two trees.

He scrunched up his nose and decided to take Blur 1's observation seriously as he started to pay attention more so to scents around him then just his eyesight. Once he turned the scent switch in his brain into the ON position, his world changed from a bunch or earth toned blurs to distinct pictures, almost as if he had put glasses on to aid his already keen senses.

The scent was faint, but he began to pick up the one of which he was searching, which belonged to the woman they searched for.

"She's close by!" Blur 2 yelled out to Blur 1.

Blur 1 made a sound sounding suspiciously like "I told you so", but Blur 2 let it drop for now, as the scent of the woman was closing in at lighting fast speeds.

* * *

Izayoi knelt down with a basket in her hand, picking out a few herbs a long with Kikyo and Kaede. From time to time, the three had to perform miko duties, seeing as they were the only three (save for Kagome) on the island with the miko gift. So today she was out in the only place where this specific and rare herb grew, near a large fresh water pond.

They were in the process of restocking Kaede's herbs that she used for various things in her miko practice. Although it was hard work, Izayoi did not mind it at all. In fact, she'd rather be here than back at the Books where she knew many people had been enlisted to help clean up the huge mess that she involuntarily caused when she had the first vision from Midoriko.

She set her basket down, and then stood up to feel the cool breeze and wipe her brow.

"It's hot!" she said with a long sigh. She heard Kaede laugh a little.

"I've felt hotter. But ye are correct. It's just hot enough to make one yearn for a dip in the cooling waters of that pond."

Kikyo nodded her head in agreement, and then rolled her shoulder to relieve some of the stress of her task. "Yes, it's pretty hot. I almost feel like the heat is affecting my miko a bit. I'm hardly as aware of my surroundings as I normally am."

"Yet another point made, eh Izayoi-san?" Kaede asked, looking up at the middle-aged woman.

But Izayoi was starring off into the distance with a look of concentration. She sensed something coming, but not with her miko powers. No, the heat was pushing them out. She sensed something on a level only a mother could know.

And with a sigh and a roll of the eyes, she spoke one word, of which only a mother could understand the hidden meaning.

"Boys."

Before the other mikos could respond, a gust of wind accompanied by two flashes of silver brushed past them in a matter of seconds. The unexpected event was followed less than three seconds later with the distinct sounds of cursing, skidding, two ungraceful splashes, and another bout of cursing (in that order) assaulting their ears.

Stranger still, the smell of wet dog wafted to their noses some time later as Blurs, both 1 and 2, appeared before them sopping wet. Although, now that they were standing still they could be recognized as none other than the two Takahashi captains.

Izayoi shifted her unsurprised gaze from one wet inu to the other, until finally deciding that maybe the older of the two would be the wisest choice to address first.

So she settled her eyes upon the dripping wet Blur 1, who looked as if his dignity had been ripped from him and he was trying to recover, and started the questioning.

"Sesshomaru, I'd like to start this meeting off by using one of my son's favorite and rarely useful phrases," she said calmly, then crossed her arms. "What the fuck?"

Sesshomaru took a moment to straighten himself up and remove as much water from his hair and clothing as he could before speaking. "I'm merely going along with a plan that includes me, that belongs to none other than your highness," he said with a pointed look towards his younger brother.

Said younger brother (or Blur 2 as we've come to know him recently), simply stood with his extremely long wet bangs covering his eyes. Now that the locks were dampened, they lost their fluffy I'll-Stick-Up-In-Funny-Places mentality, and all hung limply from his head.

"In my defense," Inuyasha started to say as he held his hands up in a defensive stance. "I was totally anticipating you being a little farther that way. But the smell of herbs threw me off."

He stood in silence after his opening statement, but could feel the stares coming from three pairs of feminine eyes, the most prominent of which being his mothers.

He slicked back his bangs, hoping his unruly hair would heed his command with the aid of the water, and looked around at the women for the first time. As he expected, they were all staring at him.

"What's wrong with you people!?" he nearly shouted. "Everybody keeps fucking starring at me!"

Kikyo was the first to say something as she stood and looked towards the hanyou with a hateful gaze.

"Even though I've seen it myself, every time I hear the mention of you being the Pirate King it leaves me dumbfounded."

"My sentiments exactly," Kaede said as she also stood. "But enough of that, let us be on our way, Kikyo-san. I believe the boys have something to discuss with their mother."

Obediently, Kikyo turned on her heel, glaring daggers at the hanyou on her way towards the nearest city entrance with Kaede on her trail.

Kikyo's obvious dislike of Inuyasha did not go unnoticed by his mother or brother, and they both watched the two mikos as they departed. Once they were gone, Izayoi immediately turned back to her son.

"What was that about?"

Inuyasha stared at the last place he had saw Kikyo and Kaede, then sighed and looked towards the ground.

"Crazy bitch. She thinks her sister is pregnant with my pup."

"NANDE!?" Izayoi shrieked, looking taken aback by the statement.

"Don't worry, it's not true," Inuyasha said in response. "Kagome's definitely not pregnant."

"Although it isn't like she hasn't had the opportunity," Sesshomaru commented, glancing at his brother.

"So then what I've been hearing is true?" asked the older miko. "My son and Kagome-chan have become close again?" As she asked the question, the corners of her mouth began to turn upward and although she was asking Sesshomaru, she kept glancing happily back at Inuyasha, who said nothing.

Sesshomaru rolled his eyes, then bopped Inuyasha over the head with his fist. "Can we please discuss your relations later, and continue on with what we came here for?"

If looks could kill, they would have had to start planning a funeral for Sesshomaru with the way Inuyasha glared at him. The hanyou rubbed his head, and then looked back to his mother.

"I came to ask about Father."

"Oh," the black haired woman looked to her son with a small amount of grieving in her eyes. "Okay, what do you want to know?"

"I was thinking about the vision. In it, I'm holding a sword that I don't recognize. Then I remembered that a certain someone had mentioned he was looking for a sword that belonged to Father…" Inuyasha trailed off, looking towards his older brother.

"That's what you've wanted the whole time?" Sesshomaru asked with just a hint of aggravation in his voice. "Why did you not just ask me about it before hand?"

"Because you obviously don't know a damned thing about it! You said that you didn't know what happened to it because the trail went cold," Inuyasha explained. He crossed his arms and blew air out of his mouth in an upward direction, ruffling the still wet hair plastered to his forehead. "I noticed that when you were talking about it while we were at Mom's house, she looked like she knew something, but wasn't saying it."

At that Sesshomaru looked to Izayoi, who had looked away from both boys.

"I was merely keeping the promise I made to my mate," she said. Her voice was strong, but her face conveyed how much she really wanted to share with her son and stepson.

"What promise was that?" Sesshomaru questioned, he too now crossing his arms.

Izayoi brought her eyes back up to look at the two boys and smiled. "Toga-kun made me promise," she started, using her late mate's given name, instead of Inu no Taisho of which people normally called him. "He made me promise that when you two came to me, I could not tell you anything about anything, unless you asked me directly."

The two brothers spared a look between them at the odd request, but shrugged it off. After all, their father was an odd person.

"Okay, so where are Father's swords?" Inuyasha asked with one black eyebrow raised.

"On an island. In Kiribati. It's in the Pacific, both south and east of here."

"How specific…" Sesshomaru commented.

Inuyasha took a minute before asking his next question.

"So, why are they there?"

"Toga-kun had them taken there so the spirit of secrets could keep them safe until you both needed them," came Izayoi's reply.

"So all we need to do, is go retrieve them, yes?" Sesshomaru asked this time.

"Hai. That's all," the older woman replied with a smile.

Inuyasha studied his mother for a while, shoving his hands into his pockets in thought.

"What's the catch?"

"Nani?"

"Come on Mom, don't play dumb. It's obvious. It's not all that simple as just to go there, pick up the swords, and leave," he reasoned. "This is Father we're talking about."

A smile upon her face, Izayoi bent to pick up her basket of herbs, and when she stood to her full height once more, she brushed her hair from her face with slender creamy fingers.

"That much, I don't know. Of course, knowing your father, there probably is a "catch" as you say. But he chose not to tell me about it. Probably so he could catch the two of you off guard," she said with a small laugh. "Now if you'll excuse me I'd like to go drop these off because I do have other places I need to be right now. If you have anything else to ask me, I'll be at the Books for the rest of the day."

And with that said, the middle-aged woman turned on her heel with her long black hair flowing loosely behind her, and she walked off towards the nearest cave entrance.

* * *

**A Takahashi Motto:****A promise made**

**Is a promise kept.**

* * *

A small hanyou sat on the roof of Old Man Oji's teahouse, looking out at the city. He watched the people moving about below him. It was late at night, but this was the island's equivalent to a Red Light District so many people were out. The sounds of merrymaking floated up to his erect ears, and the light of the bars and teahouses and the like glowed against his skin in warm colors.

It was sickening.

Didn't these people know that there was suffering in their midst?

Did they not realize that his father and his all of his crewmates were _dead_?

"Of course they don't," he answered his own rhetorical mental question. "They're all too fucking drunk off their asses to care."

When had he picked up the habit of cursing?

Oh, that's right. When his father died.

Even though his father had told him not to curse, the words seemed like a bit of sugar that helped him coax out all the other bitter words that left foul tastes in his mouth.

Hearing a racket down on the street, he let his eyes roam downwards to find a drunken woman wearing an orange kimono slipping off her shoulders hanging on to the arms of two large men, one on either side. The woman laughed loudly, snorting and hiccupping while she pleaded for the men to be nice and help her home. The men looked more than happy to oblige as they helped the staggering woman down the street (even though they seemed to be wobbling quite a bit themselves).

They disgusted him.

An entire crew was dead, Jinenji's father, Captain Ryukotsusei, and his own father were all dead and here theses people were acting like complete assholes.

The five-year-old, now aged beyond his years by his father's death, stood on the flat rooftop then leaned over the edge. He coughed a little bit, then hacked, causing a rumble in the back of his throat. He took aim, then while the threesome were only a few feet from being directly under him, he forced a large wad of saliva from his mouth and watched in bittersweet delight as he hit his target, specifically the woman's overly exposed cleavage.

Once the drunken woman realized something warm wet and slimy was oozing itself down between her breasts, she pulled her arms from the two men that accompanied her and ripped her kimono open so that it barely even covered her in a decent way. Then she began to scrape the saliva and mucus out from the crevice in her chest.

The way she shrieked while she did so was enough to make the small boy cackle.

"Oi… nice shot."

The smirk immediately faded from his face as he turned to find his brother standing on the far side of the roof and coming closer. When he reached his junior by two years, he looked over his head and down at the spectacle the three humans were making below them, and let a grin slip onto his face as well.

"Feels good, doesn't it?"

"Does what feel good?"

The older boy smiled sadly and sat down with his feet dangling off the roof.

"To take out your frustration on someone else," he replied flatly. "It feels great."

The younger boy said nothing, balling his fists again as the three people below composed themselves and continued making their drunken way down the street.

"Inun… You can't keep coming out here like this. You're upsetting your mother," the older boy spoke looking up at his brother's unreadable face.

"To hell with my mother."

"Inuyasha!"

"To hell with you too!" he whispered. "To hell with all of you. I wish you'd all just die like _him_, and leave me here so I could just be by myself."

"You know you don't mean that. You'd cry your eyes out if anything were to happen to me, Iza-kaasan, or Jinenji, who is included with "you all"," came the flat voice of his brother. The older boy watched his legs dangle, feeling all the blood rushing to his toes.

"Why don't _you_ go home?"

"Why don you?"

"Well I don't wanna!"

"But why?"

"Because!"

"Because what?"

Inuyasha growled a little, and then sat down cross-legged, not facing his brother.

"I'm not gonna argue with you Sesshomaru. It's stupid."

"Your face is stupid," came Sesshomaru's reply, to which the smaller inu flared up in response.

"OH YEAH!? WELL YOUR WHOLE BODY IS STUPID!" he bellowed, not caring that people were starting to look around for where the voices were coming from.

Sesshomaru stared at him blankly for a moment. "You are so childish."

At this Inuyasha sat back down in a huff, and muttered something along the lines of "Your face is childish."

Sesshomaru sighed and closed his eyes. It had been three months since the day they heard about the death of their father, and Inuyasha only seemed to be taking it worse and worse as the days went by. He was starting to run away for long periods of time, often retrieved by Jinenji's worried tone (for the boy normally went with him), Sesshomaru's nagging voice, or some sort of vender or shopkeeper. Why a vender or shopkeeper? Other than the fact that he and Izayoi knew many of them, he was starting to steal. At first he was bad at it, and he would frequently be brought home with millions of complaints from whomever he stole from, but that didn't last. He was starting to become really good at it, and it seemed like now he was only caught once or twice out of every ten times he did it. He was starting to become addicted to the act of taking what wasn't his; no matter what it was, or what value it held.

Izayoi did not see it. Nor Jinenji.

But Sesshomaru saw it.

He witnessed the beginnings of Inuyasha's pirate lifestyle.

And because he did not see it as that, it worried him.

"Inuyasha, do I smell curry?"

The small boy flinched.

"Oh kami, please tell me Haruka-san felt generous and simply_ gave_ you a bowl of her spicy curry."

Inuyasha said nothing and seemed to huddle into himself more.

"Inuyasha… why? I now you like stealing but… from Haruka-san? Do you have a death wish? She'll kill you when she sees you."

"I was hungry, okay!" he yelled defensively. "Besides, she didn't even see me take it."

"You know this how?"

"Because I had something distracting her, that's how!"

"So I see your diabolical little schemes are beginning to turn into actual intricate little plans. You're becoming a better thief every day."

"Tell me something I don't know."

"For a minute," Sesshomaru said, his voice becoming serious. "I need to talk to you. Not joke around, I mean really talk.

Inuyasha glanced at his brother, but found that once he looked he could bring his gaze away.

"I don't care if you like stealing Inuyasha. But please, try not to lose yourself to it. I see it in your eyes baby brother…" he trailed off on the last sentence.

"What?" his brother asked him immediately. "What is it?"

"I see how much you're changing. And I know it's because you're adapting. You're trying to become more independent. But in your eyes I see that you're slowly losing yourself," the older boy said, barely above a whisper. "Just be careful."

Inuyasha was silent as he looked at his brother, then he clenched his eyes shut and turned his head away. "Onii-san I don't feel scared about anything. I don't fear anything…"

Sesshomaru looked at his brother questioningly, but before he could ask what the hanyou meant, Inuyasha opened his eyes and looked back at him.

"I don't fear anything, but to lose what I have. I don't wanna lose anything else. It feels horrible, and I hate it. But I'm gonna get rid of it. I'm gonna burry that fear so far and so deep, that it'll suffocate before it has the chance to come out!"

For a moment they were silent and they watched many a passerby make their way in and out of buildings. Sesshomaru thought about what his brother said, about burring his fears. Did that make him brave? Did that make him somehow better than he was before? Or would it just come back to haunt him?

The older inu spared a glance at his brother, and the sight was something sad, but beautiful just the same.

Inuyasha sat hugging his short skinny legs to his chest, his chin resting on a knee. His hair, now only just long enough to make it to the base of his neck, was spiked in certain places and was swaying in the slight breeze blowing in through the holes in the cave ceiling. The lights from the streets below glowed on his bare arms and legs, and made him appear like a small multi-colored spirit watching over the oblivious people below.

"Inuyasha… lets make a promise."

At this the boy looked up in curiosity. "What kind of promise?"

"I promise you that as your brother I'll be there to protect you and the things you love," Sesshomaru said.

For a moment, Inuyasha stared at his brother, and then he squinted a little.

"That sounds gay."

"That's offensive."

"Well it does."

"Be serious for a second!" Sesshomaru barked, raising his voice for the first time that night. "That's my promise. Whenever you need me, I'll be there to look after you and help you and protect you."

Inuyasha let go of his knees and pushed his legs off the side of the roof to mimic his brother's position.

"Okay. I promise the same thing. I'll help you and protect you, and the things you love."

Sesshomaru smiled and stood up, then nudged Inuyasha playfully with his foot. "Protect me? I'm the oldest, I'll be protecting you!"

Inuyasha stood to the challenge, pushing his brothers shoulder with his knuckles. "Well you're a wuss, so I'll be the one doing the protecting."

"Says the scrawny runt," Sesshomaru said as he walked over to the ledge where they had climbed up. He dangled himself over the side, and then let his body drop unto a crate. Once on the crate he jumped safely to the ground. He turned around just in time to see his younger brother simply jump of the roof to the ground, two stories below.

He landed, stumbled, then steadied himself (well he is a hanyou after all) and stood up to his full height to look at his brother, who was at least a head tall than him.

"You say that now. But you wait and see. One day you're really gonna need me to save you. Then we'll see who's got the last laugh!"

Sesshomaru ruffled his brother's hair, an act he knew the small hanyou hated, then started making his way back home through the alley.

"Yeah, whatever Inun. We'll see who's saving who."

Inuyasha smirked and jogged to catch up with his brother.

* * *

"Miroku… Miroku stop it!" Sango said through a fit full of giggles.

"I can't stop, you know I have wandering hands my love," came his sly response as he ran his dancing fingers up the most sensitive part of her spine. The brunette giggled and jumped forward, then spun around to be on her guard for more tickling.

"That's a sad excuse, you should try coming up with a better one."

The rat-tailed captain shrugged his broad shoulders, shifting the fabric of his simple deep purple cotton shirt. "Maybe some other time when I'm not busy."

"You don't look busy to me," Sango said with a single arched eyebrow.

"Oh?" the monk questioned, stepping forward, his grin widening when she took a step back and tripped herself into a chair. "I am quite busy, trying to tame a rather rambunctious woman."

"You think you can tame me?"

"No, but I can honestly say that I can try," he replied with a smirk. The captain placed on hand on the back of her chair, and the other one just below her chin where he proceeded to tickle her once more.

Sango gave out a playful shriek, and then started to laugh whilst fruitlessly trying to push his hand away.

To their right, the door to Miroku's cabin on his ship opened, and a rather large raccoon youkai stood in the archway.

"Um, Captain there's a problem with the gunpowder delivery and we need you to clear it up… and I recommend you hurry as Koharu is getting prepared to kill the delivery boy…"

Miroku sighed and straightened himself up. "All right Hachi, I'm coming," he said, then turned towards the door and proceeded to make his way out, grabbing his belt with a few assorted knickknacks attached to it and clipping it around his waist as he stepped through the doorway.

The monk made his way down to the docks not surprised that Sango had followed him, watching from the deck of the large boat.

He took long strides across the wooden planks of the dock, and reached the young fourteen-year-old Koharu's side with no time wasted. He stood there silently for a moment, watching as neither the girl or the delivery boy noticed he was there as they argued.

"Fifty gold coins!"

"Twenty-five! It's half price! Your boss owes the captain!"

"He ain't told me nothing of the sort, so it ain't twenty-five, it's fifty! Full price!"

"It's twenty-five, and if you say otherwise I'll stick my fist so far down your throat I'll be able to rip out your intestines!" little Koharu bellowed, her small frame shaking with fury.

The delivery boy merely squinted his beady eyes at the girl and repeated his earlier statement slowly, making sure to pronounce every syllable.

In the next moment, Koharu's small but powerful fist was swinging towards her opponent's mouth, but before it could reach, a rather large hand caught it. She looked up in surprise to see none other than Captain Houshi's hand wrapped securely around her fist.

"C-Captain!" she stuttered, immediately retracting her arm.

"Good day, Koharu-san. Might I ask what you were planning on doing with that powerful left hook of yours?" Miroku inquired with a serious look on his face.

The girl stuttered a few times more, trying to come up with a version of the story that would put the delivery boy more at fault than herself, while said boy snickered across the way from her.

With a sigh, the captain placed his hand on Koharu's head and twisted his wrist, effectively turning her around to face the other way. "Never mind Koharu. Just go help Hachi with something."

Koharu nodded, trying to hide the embarrassed flush in her face from the delivery boy who continued to snicker as she walked over to the raccoon and Miroku turned back around to reason with delivery boy.

When she made it to Hachi, who was at the end of the dock talking with a few other people making deliveries to the ship, she tapped him with her finger. When he turned around, she stared at her feet.

"What is it?" Hachi questioned.

"Captain says to come see if you need help," she mumbled.

The youkai shook his head in the negative. "Nope, not right now. Just go wait on the ship. If I need you, I'll call for you."

With a moping nod, young Koharu made her way back on the ship, sitting on the deck with her arms crossed in a huff.

"Don't worry, he's not mad," came a voice from her right. She looked up to find that Taijiya woman the captain had been pining after since forever. She sat down next to her, pushing her long dark brown hair behind her ears.

"What do you mean?" Koharu asked, not quite sure of what she meant.

"I mean the Captain. He's not mad at you."

"Yeah?" the younger girl said sarcastically, turning away. "I don't care anyways. He may be my captain, but he's just a man. I don't care if he's mad at me."

Captain Taijiya laughed out right at that, throwing her head back in merriment. "Yeah right kid. Miroku may _just_ be a man, but he's a man that obviously has your affection. Of course you care if he's mad at you."

"HE DOES NOT HAVE MY AFFECTION!" Koharu shrieked, placing both of her hands on the sides of her face and turning bright red.

"You shouldn't lie to yourself, especially about this particular thing," she said with a smile on her face. "Trust me, I've sailed that boat before and it'll all build up until you burst."

Koharu merely huffed, her blush not subsiding. They sat in silence for a while, one girl enjoying the other girl's company, the other trying not to think about it.

"I don't have affection for the Captain. Besides, everybody already knows you've bedded him and now he's yours for good, so it wouldn't do me any good to like him would it?" the young girl said bluntly, looking at the older woman in satisfaction as a tint of blush rose in her cheeks this time.

"Th-That's irrelevant," Captain Taijiya sputtered. "And don't change the subject! This is about your feelings for him, not mine."

"I don't have feelings for him!"

"You don't like him just a teeny bit?"

"No!"

"Have you ever in the past?"

"…N-No!"

"AH HA! So the truth comes out! You did used to like Miroku!"

Koharu yelled out in exasperation, tugged her knees to her chest, and proceeded with a confession.

"Used to, alright!? USED TO! But it doesn't count! I was eleven; he had just saved me from certain death, and asked me to bear his children when I was old enough! What was I supposed to do!?"

After her outburst there was a short pause that was followed with a question asked in a flat tone.

"Wait, how old are you?"

"Fourteen…"

Then a short pause once again. This time, the older woman stood up and walked over to the side of the ship to look down at the captain their conversation had been about. Then she started to shout.

"MIROKU YOU HENTAI!"

The monk looked up from his conversation, slightly confused. "Nani? Hentai? I didn't even do anything this time," he said in defense.

"YES, you did! When you were _SEVENTEEN_ you asked an _ELEVEN-YEAR-OLD_ to have your _KIDS_! You _HENTAI PEDOFILE_!"

Miroku, immediately recognizing the story, pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "She was very mature for her age."

"Mature my ass! She was ELEVEN!" She yelled back, intent on dragging this out.

"Sango, dearest, I'd just _love_ to have this conversation right now, but I'm a little preoccupied. Could you come back when I'm finished?"

At that the female captain just stuck her tongue out at the man and sat back down on the deck near a horror-stricken Koharu.

"You just yelled at the Captain…"

"So?"

Koharu's face contorted with confusion. "Don't you love him?"

Sango shrugged her shoulders and looked around airily. "With all my heart," she responded.

"Then why yell at him?"

She shrugged again, this time with a fond smile. "He likes it. Besides, I'm the assertive type. When I feel that something needs to be put in it's place, I'll do it. Especially Miroku."

"Ah…" was the only sound that escaped little Koharu's lips. She tugged at the ends of her short blue kimono to pass the time in what she thought would be another long awkward silence between the two. But to her surprise she found herself wanting to speak to the woman again and not let the conversation wither away.

"Captain Taijiya…" she started, unsure of what she should say to keep up their dialogue. "I… Um… Wh-Where are we going?"

Sango looked at the girl in small confusion at where the random question had come from, but decided to answer it regardless of it's randomosity. (A/N: I just totally made up a new word!)

"If you're talking about this ship and mine, then we're going to the Chinese coast."

"So then it's true… that we're on a mission for that hanyou who's become the King of Pirates?"

"How do you know about that so quickly?"

"News travels quickly."

"I see."

Silence once more. It would seem that their conversation was a fleeting one, as it came and went as it pleased. Koharu still found herself wanting to talk, even though she could tell that the delivery quarrel had been resolved and she would probably be needed for getting things aboard the ship again.

"You probably won't be seeing all too much of me in the coming week," Sango spoke again without facing her listener. "This mission you spoke of… Your captain and I have decided that to accomplish it quickly and quietly we'll need to split up." Her voice sounded distant, as if she were lost in her private thoughts, most likely filled with the violet-eyed captain.

"Really?" was all Koharu managed to say in response. She didn't want to disturb the trance like state the older woman was in, but at the same time she wanted to keep her talking.

"Yes… Really… I haven't told him this," she said quietly and quickly, "But I'm… I'm worried about him. I don't want him to return to his depressed and all-alone-in-the-world mood while he's "working"."

Koharu stared at the older woman, her waist-length brown hair blowing in the breeze. It was as if she had pulled a mask of happiness from her face, revealing her true sorrows and grievances in her uncovered expression. The young girl's heart went out to her and in the back of her mind it registered to her that even though she had once loved her captain, it could never reach the same heights that this Taijiya woman's feelings for him did. She felt they had a lot in common since they had both loved the same man, but they were so different because of the differences in how they loved him. This woman was at a completely different altitude than she, but at the same time was her equal.

The girl might as well have fallen in love all over again.

But once again Captain Taijiya spoke, pulling the fourteen-year-old from her thoughts and back into her spot on the deck.

"Koharu… When you're out at sea, and in between "jobs", or whenever he's got that look on his face that makes you feel as if the world is ending," she spoke in a soft pleading tone. "Be strong for him and keep him company. Speak with him, tell him a joke, share a secret… Do anything… Just please… _please_…" her voice had widdled away into so faint a whisper Koharu had to lean in to hear.

Sango looked up with unshed tears in her beautiful brown orbs, pulling at the young girls heartstrings with how truthfully open she was with her feelings.

"…Please… don't let him be alone."

How had their conversation drifted so far from angry captains and delivery squabbles? It would seem that the Taijiya woman had led them from the North pole to the South within the span of a few minutes, making sure to include all the emotions known to man that exist between the opposite points on the globe as well. Koharu had gone from being angry and embarrassed, to annoyed, to contentedness, to longing, to jealously, to understanding, and lastly to empathy where she now stood with the passions of the world fluttering about at her feet, nipping at her boot-clad ankles.

She glanced down at her knees, swallowed the lump in her throat, and looked up again to make eye contact with the woman that she had just found affection for.

She seemed to convey through her eyes alone that she was asking this as a woman in love with a man to another woman who had once loved the very same man, begging for her sympathy to help not herself, but the very bloke whom caused all the sensassions inside her heart in the first place. And some how she felt that it was her duty to come to her captain's aid, inadvertently coming to Captain's Taijiya's as well.

She nodded her head slowly, pushing the words "I promise," out of her mouth. They sounded dreamlike as they drifted from her parted lips and lingered between the two girls.

Captain Taijiya smiled softly as relief washed into her face. How much trust she must have had in a girl she had only formally met minutes ago to allow the feeling of safety and relief fill her. It sprouted pride in the younger girl.

Behind the brunette heavy footsteps made their way towards the two girls and a familiar voice called both of their names.

Quick as a flash, the captain replaced her mask of happiness, probably done much more easily now that she had someone on her side, and she stood and turned to greet her lover. Koharu stood also, placing a false expression of boredom on her face.

"So, lecherous monk. Are we going to get the finishing touches on our routes, or are we just going to wing it when we reach China?" the brunette asked playfully as she took steps backwards in the direction of Miroku's cabin.

With a grin and a ruffling of Koharu's hair, Miroku made his way towards his lover. His response died amongst the wind and the sounds of the crew bustling about young Koharu. In spite of herself, she stood and watched as they vanished behind a closed door. She stayed there for only kami knows how long, directing her gaze from the door to the blue cloudless sky.

It truly was a beautiful day. The sky was blue, the waters were crystal, and there was a now a slight breeze to take away from the scalding heat. The crew worked around her, preparing to set sail at dusk. She heard Hachi call her name, but she still did not move. As she stared up at the incredible blue sky that matched her eyes and kimono perfectly, she could only achieve one thought in her normally active mind.

_I'll keep my promise. I swear it, Captain-san._

* * *

"So now that you know my intentions… What are you going to do?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well… what do you think of it?"

"It's a sensible idea. Something I didn't quite expect from you of all people."

"Heh, yeah I figured as much."

The two Takahashi brothers had decided to walk around the city to talk and plan how they would go about retrieving their father's swords. Well to be honest is was more of an suggestion on Inuyasha's part because he would do just about anything to keep himself from being locked up in a room and working for hours on end like his brother fancied.

They reached the largest bridge in the city, where the river widened out the most and all the merchants came to set up shop here. How they always seemed to come to this particular bridge was beyond the two brothers, but they ventured onto it regardless.

"Well, it's safe to say that we'll be heading straight for the island. Knowing father, there's probably more to it when we arrive," Sesshomaru said.

"No shit there," Inuyasha responded with a hand on his chin. He looked around the different merchants, and then mumbled something about being hungry before he continued. "We've got no idea what to expect, so lets just go prepared for anything."

"Yes, I believe that would be…" Sesshomaru trailed off when he noticed his brother had stopped walking a few steps behind him. He turned around and watched the younger inu. "Inuyasha why in the hell are you stopping?" he asked in a flat voice.

Inuyasha grinned lopsidedly and glanced at his brother, then turned his attention back to where it had been before.

Sesshomaru followed his gaze and had to resist the sudden urge to roll his eyes.

Across from them, on the other side of the bridge, stood none other than Captain Higurashi Kagome with her younger brother, the Houjo twins, and her friend Eri from her crew. They were talking to a merchant, trying to get a good deal on a large stock of arrows no doubted for Kagome's use. But said girl had all but stopped paying attention to what she was doing to look back at the hanyou that was grinning at her like a puppy in love.

Sesshomaru wanted to vomit.

"Inuyasha," he called out, a little bit louder than when he had spoken before.

"Hn?" the hanyou responded a few moments later.

"Will you quite staring and… Inuyasha. Inuyasha!" Sesshomaru yelled to his brother, but he seemed to be ignoring him as he made his way over to Kagome, whose smile only widened with every step closer he took.

Sesshomaru watched his brother as he reached the group, greeted the others, then slung an arm around the miko's waist and pulled her laughing form away with him to sit on the low wall on the bridge's edge. She sat in his lap; her closed creamy colored legs dangling between his opened trouser-clad ones.

The couple exchanged a few words that Sesshomaru could not hear over the chatter of the people bustling about, and then they shared a long closed mouthed kiss. The youkai almost turned away from them, but they broke apart soon enough and his brother whispered something into the miko's ear, which she responded to by smiling and nodding her head.

Inuyasha brushed some of her raven black locks behind her ear, placed another kiss on her cheek, then jumped back down to the bridge with her in his arms. He escorted her back to her crewmembers, and started back to Sesshomaru.

When he reached him, he turned around to face Kagome again and began walking backwards so he could keep her in his line of sight. Sesshomaru walked with his brother, and this time he could not resist rolling his golden orbs.

"You two act like a couple of teenagers."

Inuyasha looked back to his brother with an eyebrow arched. "Sessh… we _are_ still teenagers…"

Sesshomaru stared back at his brother with a blank look on his face.

"Don't tell me you forgot… she's eighteen and I'm still nineteen, remember? Two years and one day younger than you… like it's always been…" (A/N: Lol, I couldn't resist putting that exact difference between them… my older brother and me are like that!)

"I _know_ how old you both are," the youkai said defensively.

"Uh-huh…" was the sarcastic response he received as Inuyasha turned his attention to Kagome who was now just barely visible. He jumped up and waved until he could see her waving back, no doubted giggling as well, then he turned back around so he walk with his brother.

"I'm pretty sure Myoga will be able to figure out the fastest route—"

"Are you in love with Kagome?"

Inuyasha stopped in his tracks once more and turned towards his brother with a look of surprise in his eyes that didn't quite make it to the rest of his face.

"Nani?"

"You heard me."

Inuyasha looked down at his boots, shoving his hands into his pockets as his eyes searched the ground for answers.

"I… I don't know… I've never really been in love before… so how can you…?"

"You're supposed to just know," Sesshomaru answered his brother unasked question. He thought back to when he first realized how much he had loved the young girl he knew to be waiting for him at home. Although this was a completely different kind of love, he was sure that the basics were still the same. "It's sort of a subconscious thing. You'll feel it before your conscious mind can register what it is."

Inuyasha was silent once more, still starring down at the ground. Watching him, Sesshomaru couldn't help but think about their childhood again, and a certain promise that was made when they were much younger.

For a moment, he let the feelings he had for his brother surface in his heart and he walked over to him, placing a large clawed hand on the thick silver locks covering his brother's head.

"_When we made our promise,_" he spoke, reverting back to their inu tongue, "_It was meant for the both of us. You told me the other day that you'd keep yours. I'm telling you know that I'm keeping my promise as well._"

Inuyasha's eyes glanced upward at his brother. He didn't say anything, but his eyes told Sesshomaru exactly what the hanyou had wanted to say.

The youkai nodded his head, and then converted his eyes back to the emotionless cold ones they had been before and he slid his hand from his brother's head, making sure to ruffle his hair like he used to.

"Come on Inun. Let's go find Myoga," the older Takahashi said as he took steps towards where he knew Myoga and Totosai tended to be whenever they were home.

Inuyasha nodded his head and followed his brother down the street.

* * *

"Kagome!" Kikyo yelled as she walked into her younger sisters home. She looked around at the meek interior and shook her head at it in shame for her younger sister.

"Kikyo?" she heard the voice of her sister reply.

It came from the back room and Kikyo immediately made her way back there to find her sister dressed in a red summer kimono that had a vine of black roses stitched into the fabric. She had obviously cut the skirt of the kimono until it resembled a modern day minidress and the sleeves were long and wide on her thin arms. She was sitting on her bed, pulling on a pair of her shorter boots, her hair hanging over her shoulders in raven black waves.

Kikyo made a disgusted face and when Kagome stood she pulled her arm so she fell back onto her bed.

"What the hell Kikyo?" Kagome demanded as she looked up at her sister in annoyance.

Kikyo ignored her question then roughly grabbed her sister's face in her thin pale fingers and leaned in with fire in her eyes. "What is wrong with you!?" she whispered menacingly.

Kagome opened her mouth to respond but the older miko closed it with an added strength in her hand to clamp the opening shut.

"Are you _trying_ to lose any holiness you have left!?" the older sister hissed. "Are you trying to become tainted!?"

Kagome pushed her sister's hand from her face angrily and stood, glaring at the slightly taller woman.

"You have no right to come here and say this to me," she said with a clam voice.

"You have no right to go sleeping around with some ainoko!" Kikyo struck her sister verbally.

A fire seemed to light in her sister's eyes that didn't go unnoticed to Kikyo, but at this point she could truly not care less. She lit a fire in her own eyes as she uncharacteristically let her temper flare up to match the younger Higurashi woman.

"I don't care what you say about me," Kagome spoke with her fury leaking into her voice. "But if you ever speak ill of Inuyasha again…" she trailed off and her miko instinctively flared up, her pale pink glow turning darker and her hair floated around her.

"You're going to let a half-breed come between us Kagome?" Kikyo asked in disgust. "Don't let him taint you any farther! I am your sister, I'm merely trying to talk you into your senses!"

"If you were really my sister you'd realize that you have no place getting between Inuyasha and I!" the younger miko bellowed. "If you were my _sister_ you'd quit judging me and looking at me through eyes of pity! Just because I am not as "pure" as you are does not make you any better or worse off than I! So I'd appreciate it if you would leave before I'm forced to see you out!"

Kikyo seethed before her sister, shaking her head. "You'll regret it. You will see. Something terrible will happen to the both of you because you refuse to see that you should not be together."

"SHUT UP!" Kagome yelled out. "You believe you know a lot about the way the world works Kikyo. But you don't know anything past the little bubble of false beliefs you've surrounded yourself with. And it's sad because you will never really learn what you think you already know. And I pity you. But my sympathy only goes so far. Now get out," she spoke, pointing towards her front door. Her miko had not yet ceased it's flaring and had only grown since it started to show.

Kikyo turned, trying to hide her appalled expression. She made her way to the door, but turned once she reached it to find Kagome standing in the doorway to her bedroom.

"How low you've sunk, Kagome. To threaten your own sister."

The younger miko merely shook her head.

"I don't make threats, I make promises Nee-san."

One last seething look and Kikyo made her exit, leaving a drained Kagome in her wake.

The young miko slowly let her power ebb down to neutral levels, and ran her fingers through her hair with a sigh. She had a feeling that her sister would not approve of her seeing Inuyasha, but at the same time she knew that it would not matter. Kikyo could bitch all she wanted, but she would not stop being with the hanyou.

Kagome grabbed a bottle of ale that she had bought earlier and made her way out, smiling bitterly.

"I can't help but wonder… what would she have done if I had told her I was on my way out to see him now?"

* * *

Inuyasha sat on the empty dock; his leg's dangling under him. The moon was not full, but it was the brightest thing occupying the sky. It shined on the waters of the lake before him as the water sloshed against the wooden structure he sat on. It was a decent night, still warm from the earlier heat, with a slight breeze to keep the atmosphere from being muggy.

The hanyou pulled his hat from his head and combed through his bangs with clawed fingers. He had been here for a long while, but he arrived early so she technically was not late. But even though he wanted to see her, he would have preferred it if she had been late. It might have given him more time to figure himself out.

_"Are you in love with Kagome?"_

The nineteen-year-old flinched at the words etched into his brain.

He couldn't possibly have fallen for Kagome so quickly. It had only really been a couple of days since they had decided to be together. But then again, they had known each other for years before that, most of those years spent around each other. He could have fallen in love with her when he was younger. But then wouldn't he have known by now?

Maybe what he thought was love was only extreme infatuation? Maybe he only liked her a lot, but was not in love with her? What was the difference anyway? If one could like somebody, couldn't they love him or her as well?

Suppose he actually did love her, what did that mean for them? Would it change things, make things more complicated? Or maybe it would only add something they didn't have before to the relationship.

What if she didn't love him back?

Or even more terrifying… What if she did?

What if they were both gaga for each other, and he lost her?

He would die, that's what. He did not know if he loved Kagome, but he knew that he would die without her. He could not imagine his world with out Kagome. It would be like living without breathing, feeling as if one was choking and gasping for the oxygen one desperately needed to survive whilst contradicting your actions to live through it suffering.

So he felt this strongly about the girl.

Maybe he did love her?

"Damn it, I'm not good with this kind of shit," he muttered under his breath as he pinched the bridge of his nose to relieve some mental stress.

"Ew, I hope you're not trying to become good with shit now, Yash."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and turned around to greet Kagome, who plopped right down next to him with a teasing smile. She lifted the bottle she held in her left hand and tilted her head to the side.

"I brought the booze."

"Oh goodie," he replied in flat sarcasm.

She giggled and handed the bottle to him.

The hanyou stuck a claw in either side of the cork in the bottle and pulled, smirking at the satisfying popping sound. Then he handed the bottle back to Kagome with a polite "Ladies first."

She thanked him, then took a swig from the bottle and winced at the burning sensation in the back of her throat. Breathing out a sigh, she turned and watched his Adam's apple bob up and down as he chugged the liquid down, some of it trickling down his chin.

He pulled the bottle from his lips, emitting a satisfied hiss from his mouth.

"A little strong, but refreshing," Inuyasha commented, wiping his mouth on his sleeve.

"Well, you know Oji-dono only has hard liquor."

"And he's a better man for it."

Kagome let out a sigh and tucked some hair behind her ear before leaning over onto Inuyasha's shoulder. The water beneath them continued swaying with the soft wind that apparently felt the need to play with their hair. While Kagome's black locks blew freely, Inuyasha's was tucked back into his usual loose braid, which resisted the wind's pull unlike his bangs and sideburns.

"How was your day?" Inuyasha spoke up to drown out the silence.

"Pretty good…" she lied, preferring to push the incident with Kikyo that happened just minutes ago to the back of her mind. "You?"

"Same. Sessh and I went over our plans for when we leave."

"Where are you going?"

"Kiribati."

"Where in the hell is that?"

Inuyasha laughed. "In the pacific. Apparently dear old dad left some swords for us on that island. I'm kinda curious about it. Knowing my dad, he probably left it in a place full of booby traps and puzzles and what not."

"Really? Why would he do that?"

"The same reason he did anything. He was a weird old man with nothing better to do. Plus he liked messin' with his kids."

This time it was Kagome's turn to laugh. "Your dad seems like he was the exact opposite of mine."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yup. My dad was all business, all the time. He was a priest in the village Kikyo, Souta, and I grew up in. I think Kikyo acts the most like him."

"Ah… Well, I can see how that might have sucked…" he muttered under his breath, to which Kagome responded to by playfully hitting him over the head with a giggle.

"Sure my dad might have had a bad attitude about a lot of things… but I still loved him," she said with a small reminiscent smile. "He was killed… when my village was raided. He was trying to protect us, but he was killed."

Large clawed fingers slipped their way down Kagome's arm to interlock with her own digits in empathizing support. Nothing had to be said for her to know that he was sorry for her loss in the same way that she had expressed her own empathy for his loss so many times before. But then again, nothing had to be said. His holding her hand was enough to convey the message.

"You know, I'm gonna miss you when I'm in the America's."

"Oh really?"

"Yup."

"Then we should totally have farewell sex."

Kagome glanced up to Inuyasha's face, seeing a serious expression but playful eyes. She rolled her own brown orbs and lay back on the wooden dock, her arms outstretched over her head and her fingers intertwining with her hair.

"Yes Inuyasha, we should just totally have farewell sex. Why don't you just fuck me right here on the docks and we'll call it a night?"

"Really?"

"Of course not you idiot."

The hanyou sucked at his teeth disappointedly, crossing his arms in a half pout that he couldn't keep up for more than a second. When he heard Kagome laugh behind him he turned back towards her and pulled one of her long legs onto his lap.

"Laugh at me will you? Even after you just shot me down and told me I wasn't getting any? You are a sick, sick person."

"Hey, it takes one to know one," Kagome laughed, watching him as he trailed two of his claws gently up her shin, past her knee and to her inner thigh. "And don't you dare raise those fingers any higher or you might find yourself celibate for a very long time."

Inuyasha glared at her for a second, then yanked her leg upwards, pulling her towards him with her hips jerked into the air. Before she could even yelp in surprise she felt his lips on the inside of her thigh, probably an inch higher than his fingers had gone. Then he blew air from his mouth that escaped by forcing it's way between the small space between his lips and her skin, creating a particularly rude noise.

She briefly registered that she could feel his tongue, teeth, and canine fangs before he dropped her leg back into his lap. Then she could feel something warm trickling down her leg.

"Ew! You spit on me!" she shrieked, pulling her leg back towards her to wipe his saliva from her thigh.

Inuyasha merely stuck his tongue out at the girl.

"I can't believe you just rasberried my leg… That's so disgusting!"

"Eh, I'm a dog. I bite, I lick, I drool upon, it's how I show affection," Inuyasha smiled lazily as he leaned his chin onto his left hand, which he supported with his elbow resting on his knee. "It's when I refuse to put my mouth on you that you should become upset, love."

With a shake of her head, the miko leaned back onto her arms and let the breeze cool her skin and rifle through her hair. "Really Inuyasha… I'm going to miss being around you. Promise you'll write me?"

"I promise Kags," the hanyou replied with a slight smile then he leaned back onto the dock and looked upwards towards the sky. He closed his eyes and pushed air out through his parted lips slowly, not surprised when he felt Kagome's head nuzzling into the crook of his neck and her arm draping over his middle.

"I wonder how far Miroku and Sango have gotten," the miko wondered aloud.

"Dunno. They left just after sunset when it began to get dark. That was only just a few hours ago so they couldn't have gotten all that far."

"I wish I could have seen Sango off. She's been worried about Miroku lately, with what we saw in the vision and all," Kagome spoke, her lips moving against the soft skin of her Pirate King. "They really love each other. When they're near one another, you can see it."

A grunt emitted from Inuyasha's throat as his eyes opened at the word love. Suddenly a burning desire to know Kagome's feelings towards him lit within his chest. His mind went over a few options he had in asking her before something hit him.

If he were to ask her if she loved him, would that be coming on a bit too strong? After all, their relationship had really only reached it's current level a few days ago. Would love complicate things now? Before he could answer his own question, another thing popped into his mind.

He wanted Kagome to be in love with him.

He wanted it more than anything he'd ever wanted in his life.

Kagome's love was something he was sure he would do anything to have in his possession.

And of course like the task of becoming Pirate King, it scared the living shit out of him for some inexplicable reason.

Inuyasha spared a glance down to the girl occupying his thoughts to find that she was staring at him through intensely focused eyes. He looked back into the chocolate colored orbs for a moment or two then blurted out the ever-popular word "Nande!?"

Kagome propped herself up on her hands, hovering above Inuyasha with a curtain of black hair surrounding them.

"What are you so worked up about?"

"Say what?"

"Don't act dumb," she said accusingly. "The look in your eyes gives it away. What's on your mind?"

The teen watched his lovers face, peering through her eyes to view her deep concern for him. Having someone like Kagome care for him at all didn't seem real, and to confirm that all of this was not just a sick joke his mind was playing on him her reached out to touch the girl's shoulders, then slide his hands down over her back where they stayed. And before he could register that his mouth had even moved, he heard his voice speak the very words he had been contemplating on seconds prior to her nabbing his attention.

"Kagome have you ever been in love?"

Obviously she had not been ready for that to come out of his mouth, and for a second she appeared as if she thought she misheard him. This theory was only confirmed when she rolled off of him and thudded back onto the wooden planks of the dock and uttered a disbelieving "Come again?"

For a moment he chewed over the idea of saying something else, but something in him, a slight courage that he had not felt before, pushed him to ask her again.

"Have you," he started, the words coming out slowly, "ever been in love?"

"… Maybe," she said with a small blush on her face. "Have you?"

Inuyasha propped himself up on his elbows and gazed at her for a moment, before glancing away then directing one meaningful look back at her.

"…Maybe."

"Oh…" she whispered with her blush reddening.

"What kind of guy… would you be interested in?" he asked, then hurriedly said, "You know, if you were going to be in love with somebody." Both the question and statement sounded stupid to him, especially since they had already shared talks about their feelings before. The way he had asked was so indirect yet obviously inquiring about whether she loved him or not had only caused him to remember something he had heard his brother say to him earlier.

_"You two act like a couple of teenagers."_

Yes, here he was, the Pirate King, and his actions were the child like equivalent of slipping her a note asking "Do you love me?" with a "Yes" box, a "No" box, and a "Maybe" box. And even as the thought came to mind, he could not help but wish she'd check the "Yes" box with her reply.

"I… I dunno…" she said nervously, looking anywhere but at him. "I guess if I were to… be in love with somebody… they would have to be strong, and nice to me… um, confident… loyal… and a good leader. And I'd want him to be able to talk to me when something's bothering him… because if he's upset, I'd want to help because I love him," she finished, finally placing her gaze back on Inuyasha. "What about you?"

Inuyasha turned his attention up at the night sky and sat completely up once more. He found that much like Kagome, he couldn't muster up enough nerve to look at her while he listed the traits off on his fingers.

"If I was gonna fall in love with somebody… well more than anything she'd have to be accepting."

"Accepting? What's that mean?"

"Accepting, like… she can't want to change me. She'd… She'd have to love me like I am, y'know?"

Kagome nodded her head in agreement then nudged his leg for him to continue.

"Other than that, I'd want her to be tough, like she has to be able to hold her own against me and my temper and arrogance and stuff. She would be smart… easy to talk to… supportive. Oh, and attractive. Must be very attractive. Nice legs, nice rack, that sort of thing."

"You have such a one track mind Yash," Kagome laughed with a roll of her eyes, briefly looking down at her legs and chest and wondering if they were "adequate" for his taste. Of course the very next second she threw the thought form her mind and berated herself for event thinking it.

"I do not have a one track mind," he stated flatly with his arms crossed. "You can't tell me that you don't want to fall in love with somebody you're not attracted to."

"You're right. If I'm in love with someone, they should be attractive in my eyes because I'd plan on having lots and lots of hot and kinky sex with them."

_That_ comment made the poor hanyou choke on the air he was breathing, throwing him into a fit of coughs that lasted quite a while before he could calm down and look at her. "Really?"

"Well… maybe. To be truthful I only said that because I thought it was something you might say," she replied with a nervous laugh.

"I see… so no hot kinky sex?"

"Nope. Hot and kinky love making, maybe. But I think the term sex goes out the window when you're in love with somebody."

Inuyasha sighed then looked back at Kagome. "If you see it that way, then you need a mate, not a lover."

"What's a mate?"

"Kind of like the youkai equivalent of a husband, or a wife."

The miko's face contorted in confusion for a second. "But I've heard of youkai getting married before. They still have husbands and wives."

"That's true, but marriages tend to only happen when suitors are chosen for the youkai, or they only do it because they want to be apart of a certain family and crap like that. Mating is something that you should only do with somebody you love. And not fake love too; I mean love like you'd die inside without the person. That's why when youkai tribes and clans have two people they want to be together forever, they put them with each other starting at the day of birth, hoping they'll fall for each other."

"Sort of like… Kouga and Ayame…"

"Yeah, probably. But I don't know the whole story with them, so I couldn't tell you for sure," Inuyasha spoke, scratching the back of his head. "But it probably would have worked between them, if they tried."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean they love each other and they want to be together despite what they have both said in the past, and that's all it really takes to mate somebody. Of course it's a bond that's only supposed to be shared between people in love, not two friends who love each other, so it might have been awkward…"

Kagome nodded her head, chewing on her lip. He watched her through the corner of his eye and could tell that she was mulling over the idea of Kouga and Ayame being together. He did not have to watch her to know that she'd dismiss the idea as their choice though. It was just something Kagome would do, and he predicted the moment she brought up the two ookami.

"When you mate somebody," he found himself saying, "it's not something that can be forced. It can only happen if the two people _want_ to be mated. Their bodies will reject the mating if they don't, and it would never go through. That's probably why the two of them ran away. They knew they loved each other and would like to be together, so if they had gone through the process there was no stopping their bodies from conforming to what they both wanted deep down."

"That sounds pretty nice…"

"Huh?"

Kagome laughed and shook her head. "Not about Kouga and Ayame, but about having a mate."

"Yeah well it's supposed to be. If falling in love and being connected to the person you're in love with for the rest of your lives isn't "nice", then I doubt people would do it as often, y'know?" he said with a small grin.

Looking over towards Inuyasha with a grin wearing her features as well, she mimicked his earlier position and rested her chin in her hand. "I think you're right. Maybe I should have a mate instead of a lover."

"Maybe. But it's have to be with somebody of youkai blood."

Kagome looked confused for a second, at which Inuyasha laughed a bit before he continued. "If you want a mate, you'll have to fall in love with somebody with youkai blood in them, and make sure they love you back. Humans don't have the power to create that sort of bond between people by themselves. It requires a demonic aura."

"Ah, I see…"

Inuyasha nodded and looked back down at the water. "Yup. So you need a youkai."

"Why not a hanyou?"

His gaze immediately snapped back up at the girl, who appeared as if she had only just realized what came out of her mouth and her blush came back will a vengeance.

"I-I mean… If I ever… happen to fall in love with a hanyou… just in case he loves me back…" her blush seemed to increase with every phrase she pushed from her lips, and as she paused he could tell she was breathing a little harder than normal. Quite frankly, he thought it was cute, and it would have been even cuter had he not come to the realization that he was probably as red as she and his breathing was not the most even thing in the world either.

"If he loves you back…" the teen persisted, trying to gently push her to finish what she started to say.

"If he loves me back… would it be possible… for us to mate?"

For a moment the hanyou could feel his mouth moving, but he did not hear the words until a few seconds later. When they came out they were a sputtering mess, but the message was nonetheless relayed.

"Y-Yes… It's possible… In fact it's one hundred percent p-possible. Seeing as all a p-person needs is some youkai blood in them, hanyou's could do it too. We… we tend to have youkai blood running th-through our veins," he spoke, the end of his words accompanied by a nervous laugh.

"Oh… well that's good… for just in case, y'know?"

"Yeah… of course the possibility of you… meeting another hanyou other than Jinenji, Shiori, and… me, are very slim," he started to say, hanging off of his own words almost as much as he could see Kagome was. "And the last time I checked, you didn't like girls that way, and Jinenji would want to settle down… which I know you don't want to do anytime soon…"

"I see… and you?"

"Me?" Inuyasha squeaked out, his voice cracking in the most horrible way he'd heard since he'd hit puberty. As soon as the word left his mouth he couched a little and cleared his voice, repeating the word and relaxing slightly when he could recognize the deeper smoother voice that spoke. "As for me… I'm capable of mating… y'know, once I fell in love it's easy to mate."

"Fell?" she asked, her eyebrows shooting upward.

"Fall!" Inuyasha barked out. "Fall, I mean once I _fall_ in love…" he spoke nervously and he could feel his face heating up under her incredulous gaze.

"… So just to see if I've got everything straight," she started to speak, inching closer to him. "If I ever fall in love with a hanyou…"

"…And if he loves you back," he finished her statement, also pushing his body closer to hers.

"Then it's a definite thing that we…" continued Kagome as her voice decreased I volume as she leaned onto her left arm and closer to her listener.

"… Would be able to mate," Inuyasha confirmed, nodding his head slowly, simultaneously inclining his head down to Kagome's height.

Eyes trained on the glowing orbs inches from her own eyes, Kagome began to glow a light pink herself, her hair waving in the light as well as her cloths being ruffled. She blinked a couple times and then pulled away from Inuyasha, wringing her hands in her lap.

"S-Sorry… that sometimes happens when I get lost in the moment…" she stuttered through her apology, getting a grip on her miko and the glow faded once more. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—"

"Kagome?"

A large hand gripped her chin, turning her back towards Inuyasha who looked at her, his face seeming pale in the moonlight as his eyes glowed, his hair gleamed, and his lips parted only slightly.

"Y-Yes?" she managed to say under his gaze as she felt her cheeks burn red.

"Do me a favor?" he asked as he leaned forward once more, her chin still in his grasp.

"Mhmm?"

"Shut up," was his whispered request just before he pressed his lips against hers and she lost control of her miko once more.

* * *

**Oofie: "Oh Em Gee… that was the most beautiful fluffy thing I've ever written… well at least it was in my opinion. It probably helped that I've been listening to You Give Me Something by James Morrison."**

**Kagome: "Hey, that's the song on the FX commercial right?"**

**Oofie: "Yup. I've been listening to it like non-stop. I loves it!"**

**Kagome: "You'll get tired of it soon if you keep listening to it."**

**Oofie: "Aw, no I won't! But something I've been wondering about for the past minute… where's the little puppy?"**

**Kagome: "I dunno. Where could he have gone?"**

**Oofie: "Not much place to go in here… my room is kind of small, it's not like he could just disappear in here."**

**Kagome looks around, then smiles.**

**Kagome: "Awwww! Look under your desk!"**

**Oofie looks under her desk to find Inuyasha curled up and asleep, his upper body resting on her giant panda bear. **

**Oofie: "Oh my god… Kodak moment… Quick, get the camera!"**

**Oofie & Kagome take millions of pictures of cute sleeping Inuyasha.**

**Kagome: "Okay, maybe we should stop, we don't want to wake him."**

**Oofie: "Yeah, it'd be a shame to let that kind of cuteness slip away from us so quickly."**

**Kagome: "Let's hurry and get the review replies done before we continue to stare in awe though."**

**Oofie: "Heh, yeah lets. Here are the review replies everyone!"**

**Review Replies:**

_KagsYasha__: I totally agree. It's always cool when Kaggers gets kidnapped. But I'm afraid that whether she gets kidnapped or not will not be something I can tell you as of yet. I'm still working out what I want to happen in the end. And wouldn't that be something? If she was pregnant? Lol, sadly that will not happen in the duration of this story, that match I can tell you. As for an epilogue (if I do one) then there is the posiblity! Thanks for the review, hope you liked this chapter!_

_LoVe23__: So glad you like the Kouga stuff, 'cause he's quickly becoming a favorite character of mine. I mean, he always has been, but I like writing about him. Event though it's sort of hard… As for __**that**__ scene, lol it was fun to write, seeing as I havn't written something as intense as that before. Also glad you liked it! I hope you liked this chapter too!_

_Miko in training__: Lol, everybody says that's OOC for Kouga. But that's the point! In this story he was brought up to live a certain way, and when he finally figured out he didn't like it he reacted in a way that he would not normally do. I'd like to think of it as him changing into a person that he hopefully will be proud to see in a mirror looking back at him (how ever corny that may sound). Lol, the Kagome being preggers thing was just a bit of humor. I like it when Kikyo gets pissed at Inuyasha. I find it funny, and seeing as she sees him as the thing that's tainting her once "pure" younger sister, I thought the quickest way to get her mad at him was to get it into her mind that Kags was carrying Inu's child. Sick, I know, but I like it! I know how demanding taking care of other people can be, trust me, I'm practically raising my baby sister on my own so I can see where you're coming from. I hope things go well with your grandmother, and thanks for being supportive with the whole grounding thing. As you can see, I've found a way around it! Lol, saying that makes me feel like a little kid, but I'll get over it. Thanks for the review! (Lol, I totally did not mean to write that much…)_

_MoonDemoness468__: Glad you liked the last chapter! Lots of people did apparently. As for Rin… in some point in time I think I stated that she was sixteen... But because I've got super author powers I'm contemplating making her a year younger just so some math will add up in her back-story, which will be reviled soon enough. But eh, it doesn't quite matter all that much, I can change it. Anywho, if you're wondering, Rin and Sesshomaru have a special relationship. They love each other, but not in the same way Inu/Kag, or Mir/San love each other. It's… kind of hard to explain. I once had a friend like Sessh, and I'd like to think I loved him the same way Rin does… I guess it's just a personal thing I added, but can't really explain. Eh, I'm getting off track, but thanks for the review!_

**Oofie: "Okay, well me and Kagome have to get back to looking at Inuyasha while he's asleep."**

**Kagome: "Yup, shall I go fetch some ice cream?"**

**Oofie: "No, I'll get it, just keep an eye on him. And as for you guys, see you later!"**


	10. On the Grind

**Oofie: "Oh my gawd I can't believe it's been like MONTHS since I've updated…"**

**Inuyasha: "Yeah, what the hell Oofie?"**

**Oofie: "Well… My computer crashed and for a long time I was computer-less. And I refused to write my story on somebody else's computer."**

**Inuyasha: "How selfish."**

**Kagome: "Oh leave her alone Inuyasha, she's sorry right?"**

**Oofie: "Definitely, I want to give my sincerest apologies to everyone who was even remotely interested in this story. But I do have a laptop now and I'm going to be writing like crazy on this story and all the new AP homework I've got now… Bleh…"**

**Kagome: "Well I've missed you Oo-chan. I'm glad you're back."**

**Kagome: elbows Inuyasha in the ribs.**

**Inuyasha: "OW! Okay, fine I missed you a little bit too."**

**Oofie: "Awwww, thank you, I love you guys!"**

**Inuyasha: "Yeah, yeah let's get this chapter started. Any vocabulary?"**

**Oofie: "Actually no, but I've only just realized that I haven't told everybody the names of all the ships the Captains have. So I'm gonna list them instead."**

**Inuyasha – Wind Scar**

**Kagome – Shikon no Tama ((sometimes she just calls it the Shikon though))**

**Sesshomaru – Ikkitousen ((strong warrior))**

**Miroku – Kenkoubi ((remarkable feminine beauty))**

**Sango – Ishikengo ((strong determination; strong willed; firmness of purpose))**

**Kouga – Shinsoku ((swiftness; Godspeed))**

**Ayame – Giyuu ((heroism; loyalty and courage))**

**Oofie: "Now that that's over, DISCLAIMER!"**

**Inuyasha: "Oofie don't own me in no way, shape, or form!"**

**On The Grind**

Izayoi stood on the dock as the sun set, her eyes peering at the horizon with her hands over her heart. When the breeze picked up around her she closed her eyes and deeply inhaled the scent of the sea, one she had known for all of her life.

As she remained on the empty dock she smiled silently and raised her head to look at the orange tinted sky.

"Your sons miss you," she spoke softly as she stared sullenly at the beautiful sunset. "You already must know that. I know you watch over them, even now."

Her eyes fluttered closed and she let her hands fall down to her sides as the wind picked up once more to rush past her in a warm embrace. "They've grown so much. They are no longer boys, but strong and determined men. But even so, men can stray off the path like anybody else. Please… guide them when they need you,"

Before she could help herself her eyes welled up in tears and she opened them slowly, allowing the salty drops of water to spill over and down her face. Her legs gave out underneath her and she dropped to her knees on the wooden planks, her hands grasping at her heart in her chest.

"Oh Toga-kun… I miss you so much," she cried, starting to tremble. "Not a day goes by that I don't think of you! There are so much of you inside them, sometimes I look at Sesshomaru or Inuyasha and I see _you_…"

Izayoi choked on her tears, shaking violently in a crumpled heap on the end of the dock. She was a strong woman, but the loss of her mate had never blown over for her. And she knew it never would, just like it would never blow over for any mate who had lost theirs. The bond made was just so strong that it was simply physically impossible.

"Please… _Please_... Let the two of them come back to me. Don't let them die Toga-kun!"

Her sobs never died down, nor did they grow in intensity. She cried continuously into the night for her mate, asking him to keep their sons safe from harm. She did not know if a mate could be reached once they had gone into the after life, but she knew she could try.

**.:.**

**Somewhere Not In This World:**

**A single tear, coupled with a nod**

**Was given from the deceased.**

**He sent his love and began to weep.**

**.:.**

All there was were his hard breathing and silence in the darkness. It was closing in as he clutched the two sheets of paper to his chest.

"Th-This is ridiculous!" he sputtered through his fear. "This is madness! I h-have nothing to fear! Someone is j-just pulling a prank!"

A noise! Possibly a footstep? Is that what he heard? He whipped around in the dark room, peering around but failing to see a thing through the darkness.

Backing against the wall, the rather large man tightened his grip on the gun he held in his other hand. His finger lingered above the trigger, trembling ever so slightly.

Another footstep! Another, another!

"Show yourself!" he squeaked.

He raised his gun. His arm shook violently.

"I assume you have received my letters?"

The man swerved around, aiming his gun to where the voice had come from. Near the window he saw the silhouette of a woman through the moonlight. She wore dark clothing, a pair of skin tight trousers, large boots, and a short black kimono lined with hot pink thread. The kimono was held closed with several belts tied around her waist, and there were things clipped onto the belts as well. Her hair was long and in a high ponytail, the part of her face not covered by her mask was pale and her eyes were daunting.

The sight of her caused him to fall back onto his backside with a loud thud. He pushed himself back, skidding across the wooden floor with his arm outstretched, the gun still grasped in his hand.

The woman walked towards him, leaving the visibility of the moonlight and entering the darkness in front of him.

"I see the papers in your hand. Have you read them?"

He said nothing. He trembled.

She tilted her head to the side.

"I advise you to answer. After all, you might live longer that way."

He gulped down some air, gasping slightly before nodding his head vigorously. "I-I have received… and read th-them!"

"And your response is?"

"It is impossible! If I renounce my alliance with Onigumo he will surely have me killed!"

"And if you do not, I will kill you myself," was her response.

The large man backed away from her as far as he could, then he hit something and turned to see it, only to be greeted with a scythe that glinted in the light shining through another window.

"Or I could," said the wielder of the scythe. "I could easily slit your throat right here."

"But you won't," said the woman. "I thought I told you to take out the guards…"

"I did."

"…and to stand watch."

"Kirara's on it."

The woman sighed, then grabbed the large man's arm and turned him to face her. "Lord Zhen. I'm afraid you only have two options. You can separate yourself from Onigumo, or you can fall to my brother's blade."

The large man, or Zhen, fell to his knees in terror. "I cannot! He will kill me. He will kill me!" he whispered as he trembled.

"Ew, Sister I think he's soiled himself."

"Shut your mouth," the woman snapped. She looked down to the man then kneeled in front of him. "Lord Zhen… If you agree, then he cannot kill you. I will make sure of that personally."

Zhen looked up through wide eyes. "He will kill me. Not even you, the pirate captain known and feared throughout these ports as Sango the Demon Slayer, cannot help me if I am marked for death by him!"

Sango shook her head then slowly reached out a hand to the man. "You're scared and cannot think straight—"

"St-Stay back!" he yelped, scrambling back until he knocked into the young boy behind him. He immediately scrambled up, took the boy by his hair and pulled his head back, settling his gun under the boy's mask-covered chin.

Sango stood slowly, her hands held in the air. "Lord Zhen… you don't want to do this…"

"Be still!" he screamed, yanking the boys head back even farther and causing him to drop his scythe. "I'll kill the boy! Stay away, I don't want to die by Onigumo's hands!"

"Zhen…." She said quietly, dropping formalities. "Put the gun down."

She took a small step forward.

He flinched.

She took another, eyes trained on the barrel of the gun and her brother's face.

Her eyes squinted as Zhen took a step back and yelled, his finger tightening on the trigger.

In the next few seconds her instincts took over. She didn't feel her arm unsheathe her short blade at her hip it was so quick, but she did feel the pull the friction had on her arm as she swiftly swiped the man's throat with the blade-clad hand, and pushed her brother back with the other. Not half a second later did she hear the gun go off, and she heard her brother grunt as the bullet grazed his chin.

Both males fell to the floor, one clutching his throat that was squirting blood and emitting a gurgling sound, the other holding his chin and frowning.

"Damn… that bugger was really going to shoot me," Kohaku said, holding his chin. He glared at the man angrily, kicking him in his back as he took his last few breaths.

"He was frightened. I didn't want to have to kill him but he left me no other alternative," Sango said as she knelt in front of her brother. "Let me see your chin Kohakun."

The boy obediently let go of his chin, pulling his mask from his face. Sango studied her brother's shallow wound, thanking kami that she had been quick enough. "Eh, you'll live. Next time, try not to be so sloppy and you won't become a hostage."

"I am not sloppy," he replied and they both stood. Sango took the papers from the now dead Lord Zhen's hands, removed his gun then proceeded to leave out of the window with her brother to where Kirara was waiting.

**.:.**

**If You Haven't Realized What's Going On:**

**The King's plan is underway.**

**The Goten no Kaizoku is back on the grind.**

**.:.**

"Oi, Kagome!"

The captain of the Shikon no Tama turned at the sound of her name to find a redhead youkai walking towards her.

"Hey Ayame, Where's Jin?"

"She decided to go with Akitoki-kun."

Kagome arched an eyebrow. "Where's Akitoki-kun?"

"Hey, he's _your_ chef. How should _I_ know?"

The two women ceased their conversation for a moment as a large group of Cuban men walked past them, some of them lingering long enough to leer at the two foreign women.

Ayame eyed the men and sighed. "Men are _such_ pigs," she said loudly, obviously surprising the Cubans as she spoke perfect Spanish.

Kagome nodded. "Yeah, I know. And do you know the only thing pigs are good for?" she responded just as loudly through the Spanish language.

The redhead looked directly at the men as she answered.

"The slaughter house."

"Must you really scare them that way?" said a voice they recognized in their native tongue.

Both girls turned to see Houjo standing there with a few large rolled up papers under his arms and a sack in the other hand. "Ladies, I'm sure that those rouges probably deserve to be threatened for whatever it is they've done," he said as he nodded his head towards the exiting Cubans in the crowded street. "But it's best you don't attract attention to yourself. Especially when we are so close to the end of our journey."

"I don't need my first mate scolding me like a child ya know," Kagome said jokingly. "But I suppose you are right."

"What you got there?" Ayame questioned, pointing to the rolled up papers.

"The updated maps. I was hoping maybe we could settle down somewhere and look at what we've got left to do, seeing as we only have a few days left before Takahashi-kun will send us our summons."

"Okay then!" Ayame said with a nod. She linked her arms with Houjo and Kagome then progressed down the road. "To the nearest bar!"

**.:.**

"Captain!"

Miroku looked up from his ship, the wind tugging at his hair and coat.

Koharu stood, a navy shawl wrapped around her. Her eyes were trained on something and in the reflection of her crystal blue orbs he saw something bright red flash.

He followed her gaze upward just in time to see what appeared to be a ball of red flame running at him. Instinctively he raised his arm above his head and the ball of fire darted into his hand. The monk winced a little, and then brought his fist down, opening it up to reveal a miniature Kirara made of fire even smaller than her tiny form. In its mouth was a flat rectangle, also aflame.

With a nod of thanks the monk took the rectangle from the mini-Kirara's mouth with his forefinger and thumb. The moment he touched it Kirara disappeared, the flames vanishing and a simple piece of folded paper remained. He unfolded it, and read the words that looked as if they were written in ash.

"Captain…?" Koharu called, walking towards the rat-tailed monk.

"Captain Taijiya has taken care of the last Lord on her list. Tell Hachi to stock up while we're in port. We'll be leaving in a few hours."

Koharu nodded with a small grin. "Aye-aye, captain!"

**.:.**

"Kouga?"

The ookami glanced to his right as he lazily pulled on his noble robes, the best disguise he could get in such short notice.

"Eh? What is it Ginta?"

"Hakkaku says we're gonna get off schedule if you don't hurry."

Kouga grunted and yanked the rest of his arm into his sleeve and tying the robes shut. "Yeah well you can tell Hakkaku that he knows where to shove it. I'm on my way, don't rush me."

Ginta nodded with a smirk and left the room, closing the door behind him.

When he was alone again the dark-haired youkai sighed. It was only a few hours way from the tailor's shop to the Syndicate Head Quarters, and the moment he left here he would be ready. The only two who would accompany him there, Ginta and Hakkaku, had already been fitted with their disguises and they knew their roles.

"Damn. Do I really have the nerve to pull this off? This is more so Dog-Shit's kind of stunt, not mine…" he mumbled to himself as he pulled his hair from the usual high pony tail and pulled off his headband. Picking up the brush the tailor had let them borrow; he sat in front of the mirror and brushed his bangs back until they lay flat on his head, not one hair daring to push itself out unto his forehead.

He peered into the mirror, surprised at how different he looked with a change of cloths and a new hairstyle. With a deep breath, he gathered up his old cloths and left the room, ready to face whatever was waiting for him.

**.:.**

"If we leave Cuba tonight, I'm pretty sure we can search the rest of Haiti's ports and things. Then we'll be finished."

"Good, I'm tired of moving around so damn quick."

The two captains and Houjo sat in the corner of a quiet bar, talking amongst themselves in Japanese. They ignored the people who passed them by occasionally looking them over in curiosity. The two pirates were famous in this region, Ayame known for her rather barbaric "No prisoners" attitude and of course bright red hair, and Kagome for being the only known holy maiden to become a pirate and to do so well other than Midoriko. Their Japanese heritage only helped to identify them amongst the Spanish speakers and the European colonists. At this time they only thanked kami that nobody had chosen to point out their presence in the town to any authorities, despite the hefty bounty on their heads.

Kagome sighed and looked at the redhead, "Let's just go make sure we've got what we need to make it to Haiti and to where Mutt wants us to meet up."

"Eh, I'm ready to go already," Ayame said as she leaned back into her chair, stretching her slender legs under the table.

"And we should be ready for departure by tonight Kagome-sama," Houjo determined as he rolled the map back up, preparing himself to leave.

Kagome nodded, then downed the rest of her drink with a satisfied gasp at the end, and closed her eyes in the darkness of the smoky bar.

_I wonder what Inuyasha is doing?_

**.:.**

**A Small Yet Significant Fact:**

**Takahashi Toga**

**Or Inu Taisho as he was often called**

**Had a very odd sense of humor**

**Where concerning his sons.**

**.:.**

"Kami it's hot!"

"Really?" Sesshomaru spoke sarcastically, looking over to his brother who was fanning himself on the beach, water sloshing at his boots. Unconsciously the youkai's hand slid up to his collar, where he proceeded to unbutton his shirt until his navel could be seen and then contradicted his actions by saying "I hadn't noticed."

"Yeah, well I did," Inuyasha said back as he shed some of his clothing, not even bothering to unbutton the buttons on his shirt and opting for the alternative of just pulling the cotton garment over his head.

"Don't you have any decency?"

"What's a decency?" Inuyasha smirked back at his brother, hooking his shirt into his belt tied low around his hips and dropping his jacket on the sand.

"Captain Sesshomaru! Captain Inuyasha!" a small voice called from behind them. Both men turned around to find Rin and Shippo bounding towards them excitedly.

Shippo bounced onto Inuyasha's shoulder then pumped air in and out of his lungs heavily. "Boy is it hot!"

"Tell me about it."

"Captains, a group of men is ready to go with you," Rin said as she took her last few steps towards the two.

Sesshomaru shook his head. "Tell them they can wait here on shore. It will be just Inuyasha and I going further into the island."

"Nande!?" Shippo shrieked, causing Inuyasha to flinch. "Inu-nii you told me I could come with you!"

Inuyasha shrugged his shoulders then grabbed Shippo by the tail and dropped him into Rin's awaiting arms. "Yeah. I lied. Pirates sometimes do that. We'll see ya in a bit Rin," he said, nodding towards the young girl.

When she nodded back to the hanyou and bid her farewell to her captain, the two brothers started off into the wilderness that inhabited the island. Neither of them quite knew what they were searching for other than the clue Inuyasha's mother had given them.

Sesshomaru stepped over some brush that littered the ground in front of him and tuned some of his attention to his younger brother. "So, got any idea on how we're finding the spirit of secrets?"

"Well from what I gathered from picking Myoga's brain on the subject, this spirit is the keeper of the worlds best kept secrets. Mysteries beyond what any mind can imagine are all under the spirits jurisdiction. In fact, the only way anybody hears about the spirit is if one of its secrets is supposed to be shared with them."

"Like us."

"Exactly."

"But that does not solve our problem. Judging by what you are telling me, the only way we can find the spirit is if we have a secret to give or to take," Sesshomaru said sounding only slightly perplexed.

"We have a secret to take already."

"And just how are we supposed to take it."

"That's the part I'm still working on."

The two brothers paused for a moment as they came upon a small spring with crystal clear water reflecting the little sky that was visible through the lush green trees. Inuyasha sniffed, and then took a step forward towards the surface that was almost exactly like a mirror.

"Maybe this isn't as difficult as we've made it out to be," he started as he stared down at the water. "Let's think of this from Father's point of view. How would he take the secret?"

"Or better yet, how would he have wanted _us_ to do it?" Sesshomaru wondered aloud. He studied the younger inu for a moment and then couldn't help himself but to inquire "What the hell are you looking at?"

Inuyasha stood once more, his eyes staring ahead of him. "There's no scent."

Sesshomaru arched an eyebrow. "What?"

"This water… it has no scent. Doesn't smell like mud, fish, fresh water… Hell, it doesn't smell like anything."

The older youkai looked at the water, silently sniffing at it. He pondered over what his brother said and nodded his head in agreement just as he noticed something else. "There's another… over there. And another beyond that and another still…"

The Pirate King looked to his brother, a smirk forming on his face. "Keh looks like a trail."

"Trails are meant to be followed," Sesshomaru replied.

"Of course they are," Inuyasha said with a quick glance at the ponds. "Age before beauty Sessh."

The youkai did not spare his brother even the slightest of glares and opted to take off running after the trail of glass like surfaces leading further into the island. The younger inu brother took off after his brother, bounding from the left side of the ponds, to the right side, and back again.

Their speed was unrivaled of anything else on the island and soon the ponds seemed more like blurs on the ground, reflecting the men passing over them. The ponds, which were sized more so in the large puddle region, began to appear in clusters instead of lines and took up much more space. As the two captains took in their surroundings they noticed groups of the glass like surfaces farther away from them all headed in the same direction.

"Look ahead!" Sesshomaru shouted back to his brother, who sped up to become neck and neck with the youkai and to get a better look.

Up ahead as all the ponds came together they seemed to reach their destination, a large lake of the glass like water up ahead of them. Once they reached the lake, they could see that it didn't even resemble water in the slightest, but the sky that it was reflecting.

"This water does not carry a scent either," Sesshomaru observed, breaking the surreal silence surrounding them.

"Well of course it doesn't," Inuyasha replied with a sigh as he stooped down to pick up a rock. He tossed the rock up into the air a few times before squinting and hurling it at the middle of the lake.

The rock curved over in its flight path and came nearer to the surface of the lake, but once it reached the actual water it disappeared. No splash was heard, no ripples were created. The rock simply disappeared into the reflected sky.

Inuyasha crossed his bare arms over his chest, blowing air upwards out of his mouth that riffled through his bangs. "Something that ain't really there can't have a smell, now can it?"

"You suppose the secret keeper is down there?" Sesshomaru asked as the two men backed up a few paces.

"Keh, it might be," was Inuyasha's response.

"So we really have no idea whatsoever what is down there then," the youkai stated more than he asked.

Inuyasha shrugged as he stepped backward, careful of the small ponds behind him. "More or less."

"And yet we are still about to jump head first into it."

"Pretty much."

Sesshomaru rolled his eyes and rotated his shoulders back.

"Alright let's not take all day with this then."

Inuyasha smirked, and then bounded back towards the lake, his brother at his side. The two of them jumped just as they met the waters edge, propelling themselves high into the air then dropping back down to form a sort of parabola shape.

Inuyasha made sure to keep his eyes open as he descended towards the water. He had no idea of what to expect, and he did not want to miss it. But once he made contact with the "water" he found himself to be disappointed. As far as surprises could have gone, this one was not all that great.

Once under the surface, the two males found themselves in a refreshingly dark and cool place. Inside the lake was not anything remotely close to the wetness of water, but it was not exactly dry either. Nor was the substance that filled the lake a liquid, but a gelatin like material that one could move through with ease.

Inuyasha looked to his brother only to be met with glowing golden orbs in the semi-darkness that partial lit up his face, much like his own. The eyes tilted a little to the side, probably because Sesshomaru was nodding his head toward something. Then they turned fully and began moving towards the direction he nodded in.

Without hesitation Inuyasha followed him, finding that swimming through the lake was more like floating than actually moving through water. It took very little effort to move through it and soon he was at the side of the pair of glowing eyes. He examined his surroundings, noticing that his eyes almost acted as candles, casting a dim but visible light on whatever he chose to lay his gaze upon.

They swam through an underground cavern, moving through the darkness and guided by nothing but their instincts. Of course, being inu youkai (or hanyou in Inuyasha's case) helped them a lot in the instinct department, so they felt that they could trust the rather strong feeling they had for them to turn left, or swim further down, or any other direction they might have gone in.

Soon the need for air began to make itself known in both males' lungs, causing their insides to burn and their hearts to beat slower. A sort of panic began to take over Inuyasha's body and he swam a little faster while his instincts told him that he'd almost made it, he just needed to hold on a little longer…

Without warning, Inuyasha felt himself break the surface of the "water". He found himself in a vertical position in perspective to which direction was up instead of being horizontal as he had thought, which disoriented him for quite a moment as his brother came up, sputtering for air next to him and looking just as disgruntled (a rarity let me assure you).

Once he was assured of his brother's presence next to him, the hanyou swam towards the edge of the much smaller indoor lake. He reached it in no time, Sesshomaru just behind him. They both stood, shook their bodies a little to relieve themselves of the water like substance.

"Where are we?" Sesshomaru voiced his thoughts as he looked around. The cave they occupied was colossal with a high ceiling a wide space between walls. Positioned all around the cave floor were small orbs, some gold some green and some a crystal blue, all piled high in messy mounds.

"If you knew where you were, then this wouldn't be a very secretive place would it?"

The two men turned around at the sound of a third voice to find what appeared to be a small child who glowed white gliding over one of the highest piles in the room, a small green orb held in both of her hands. She dropped the orb on top of the pile, and then drifted towards the two brothers. She wore a blue summer kimono and her hair was in pigtails atop her head. She looked rather sweet as she looked at the two of them rather innocently.

"The Takahashi brothers?" she questioned, pointing at them as she hovered in place at their eye level.

The two brothers shared a look between them then nodded simultaneously.

The girl nodded with a sigh, putting her hands on her hips. "Hai, well I've been waiting for you for quite some time. You've come for two secrets, yes?"

"Two?" Inuyasha inquired, holding up two of his clawed digits for emphasis.

The floating girl arched an eyebrow at him. "Did I stutter? Yes, two. Your father left one for the each of you."

Without giving them the chance to say anything more, the girl glided towards a pile of orbs and sat atop of it. "Well? Don't you want your secrets?"

"Of course we do," and answered Inuyasha, who as beginning to get a little ticked off by the girl's obvious attitude. "Where are they?"

With Inuyasha's tone duly noted, the secret keeper glided towards one of her piles of orbs, phasing through it and disappearing for a second or two. She reappeared on the other side of the pile, and then repeated her actions with a pile a little farther down. She returned holding two orbs, a blue one and a gold colored one, which she dropped into Sesshomaru and Inuyasha's hands.

The brothers were obviously baffled, though Sesshomaru did a wonderful job at masking his confusion. The little girl watched them with amusement as positioned herself to look as if she were sitting on an invisible floating chair. After what seemed like an eternity, she finally spoke out. "Aren't you simpletons going to open them?"

This time Sesshomaru also looked up at the girl in obvious annoyance while Inuyasha growled his frustration.

"How are they opened?" Sesshomaru inquired before his brother could let lose his poison tongue on the little girl (though he did think she'd make an amusing opponent for Inu in a shouting match).

"I thought you'd never ask," the girl said with a sly smile. "There are many requirements that must be met to retrieve a secret from this place. The first and most obvious one is that the secret must be left here with the intention of the hider being that it should be found. Lucky you, your father set this up so that these two secrets can be found. The second requirement is that the person or persons that are meant to find the secret are the ones who come to possess it. The last thing is that the person who is to hold the secret is deemed worthy by means chosen by the hider. In other words, this is the part the two of you are stuck on. I am not allowed to show you or tell you anything, this is something the two of you have to figure out on your own."

Inuyasha stared down at his orb, wondering how on earth a sword so large fit into something so small. He scrunched his eyebrows together in thought as he rolled it in his hands.

"So the original question resurfaces," Sesshomaru spoke as he spun his light blue orb in his own palm. "How would father have us obtain the secret?"

Inuyasha knotted his eyebrows and bit on the corner of his lower lip. "I bet it's something simple… Really simple." Inuyasha stared at his orb, rolling it over in his hands. "Come on Pop, its right in front of me, I know it… Just give me a hint…"

But the orb sat docile in his palms, pulsing against the calloused flesh of his repeatedly used hands. It was warm, soothing in a way. It almost reminded him of something else warm and inviting underneath his hand. A certain something with thick raven black hair…

"_Damn I need to get laid again_… "

Sesshomaru almost dropped his orb at the murmured admittance from his brother made in their native tongue. Turning his steel cold eyes to his brother, he opened his mouth to comment on the definitely unnecessary information but found his brother too lost in thought to really hear anything.

So he averted his attention back to his own blue sphere sitting in his palm. It was unbelievably small, but somehow he felt a strong amiability from its touch. As asinine as it seemed, it reminded him of a certain companion of his…

"The two of you could be twins, with how equally stupid you look."

Both brothers looked up at the amused voice interrupting their thoughts. The Secret Keeper floated by with a thin hand covering her sniggering mouth. Sesshomaru ignored her, but Inuyasha gave her a snarl that would make Kujo proud. Her smile, however, did not falter.

"There, there I was only teasing. It's not everyday that people come to this island. I have to entertain myself," she said with a shrug. "In spite of being a secret keeper, it is important to me to have fun!"

Before Inuyasha could take the near innocent conversation into dangerous territory, Sesshomaru silenced him with a death glare then turned his attention to the small spirit. "Not to be disrespectful, but I really do think neither of us cares what's important to you. What's most important to us…" he stopped lecturing abruptly and looked down at his orb, then to his brother. "What is most important… to us…?"

"Fluffy say what?"

Sesshomaru glared at his younger brother for the use of that nickname, who shrugged, then shook his head in annoyance. "Inuyasha, it may be difficult but I need you to think. Father was always telling us to keep our priorities in check. Always know what is important."

"Yeah," he shrugged, ignoring the insult on his intelligence. "He always said 'Know what's most important to you, and keep it close to your heart' or some crap like that. I don't see… what's so…." He trailed off as realization dawned in his expression. "Oooooooh… See I knew that."

"Oh I'm sure," the Secret Keep added her two cents in, earning fierce looks from the two of them. "Are either of you going somewhere with this, or should I get tea started so I'll having something to drink while I wait?"

"Oh I'll put _something_ down your throat in a second if you don't shut that hole under your nose!" the Pirate King shouted as he finally lost his temper. He stepped forward and bared his fangs for emphasis but the Secret Keeper paid him no mind at all.

"Inuyasha, if you don't get a grip on yourself and focus on the task at hand, so help me God, I will personally make sure you lack the equipment to ever produce nieces and nephews for me. Do I make myself clear?" Sesshomaru said in a dangerously calm voice as soon as he had had all he could take from the two bickering children in the room.

His brother rolled his eyes, but grudgingly heeded his warning and looked back at his orb. "So… Just whatever is important to us?"

"I believe the saying was '_most_ important'," the inu youkai replied.

"Okay… Um… the Wind Scar?"

The orb stayed the same, sitting in his hands warm and pleasant, almost strong enough to give him a sense of belonging.

Sesshomaru squared his shoulders

"The Goten no Kaizoku."

Like his brother's, his orb maintained the same gentle allure about it that it had before.

"Well that didn't work…" Inuyasha commented, staring fixedly at his sphere. "But there's something weird about this sphere…"

Sesshomaru looked up. "You feel it too?"

"Yeah… It reminds you of something don't it?"

Looking back down at his orb while nodding silently, Sesshomaru's gaze softened uncharacteristically. "Yes it does."

With a small grin Inuyasha rolled his orb in his hands fondly and spoke. "It feels a lot like…"

And simultaneously they said:

"…Rin."

"…Kagome."

Sesshomaru looked up at the sound of his brother's voice. "Kagome?"

Inuyasha paid him back at the same time with an arched eyebrow. "Rin?"

All of a sudden a sharp bright light issued from both spheres, successfully distracting the two brothers from each other's rather profound admittances. Both orbs emitted their given colors, and then the light turned stark white and the orbs began to get hot in their hands as it blinded them with its brilliance.

And then suddenly, it was gone. The light, the heat, and the orbs themselves. Instead, there lay two swords in each of their hands.

Inuyasha looked down at the small sheath protecting the sword he knew to hold great power within. Sesshomaru looked down at his own sheath, which was considerably thicker than Inuyasha's.

"Father's swords…" He spoke, more so to himself than anything else.

Inuyasha nodded silently, but before he could bring himself to say anything a bright white light similar to what had appeared before blocked out his vision, and he himself began to feel warm. Then it happened, with such ferocity, such intensity, and such swiftness. His head rang out with pain as if his mind hand been forcibly penetrated, ripped open without mercy, then crammed with sharp unidentifiable objects. Whatever it was flew into him with such vigor that he barely kept himself from calling out in pain.

He clutched at his skull with his right hand, and held onto the sword in his left hand with a vice like grip as if to steady him self but to no avail. The King was seeing things flash past him in his mind, images, thoughts, and voices both familiar and unfamiliar. Then, just as the orb before had distinguished its own light, the light in his eyes vanished and the semi-darkness of the cave came back to him. The pain in his head had subsided and left his brain throbbing in his skull, but all his energy had been drained and he fell to his knees while still clutching the sword.

"Wh…What the hell… Did I just get fucking mind-raped?" he gasped out rather hoarsely. He looked to his right and found his brother in a similar state of being as he, but leaning against a nearby stack of orbs instead of on his knees.

"Oh, poor brothers… The two of you look awfully exhausted," the Secret Keeper cooed as she floated by, laying on her back in midair with her arms dangling limply beneath her as her head lulled back to look at them. "I should have told you that half of each of your secrets is also instinct on how to use your swords… This is something that, very painfully, had to be forced into you because you lacked the opportunity to have actual physical training from your father… but of course daddy dearest forbid me to say anything to warn you against it."

Inuyasha leaned back onto his haunches and tilted his head back wearily. "Yup, that sounds like Dad."

"Completely and utterly," Sesshomaru agreed with a voice that sounded just as worn out as his brother's. "I believe it is time we get going now."

Inuyasha turned his head toward his brother lazily, his eyes looking disbelieving. "Are you kidding? If I move, I'll barf. And I doubt you'll be happy holding my hair back while I do it."

Pushing himself up off the orbs and walking forward in spite of his wobbly legs, Sesshomaru made his way to his younger brother in order to extend a hand to him. "To be honest you are quite correct. I don't want to be anywhere near you while you vomit. But we really do need to get out of here."

Inuyasha reluctantly took hold of the older inu's hand and let his brother help him to his feet. Once standing, he slowly stretched the arm not hanging onto the sword up and over his head. "I guess we're going for a swim then?"

"I guess so," Sesshomaru confirmed then turned to the Secret Keeper who was still in her former position, except now she was playing with one of the orbs in a bored way. He cleared his voice to get her attention and once he had it he nodded politely. "Thank you for keeping our father's swords safe for us."

The girl blinked, and then turned over onto her stomach. "It's a part of the rules. So don't thank me. I would have done it the same even if you hadn't."

"But he's thanking you anyway," Inuyasha spoke up. "And I guess I want to also. So… yeah, thanks Secret Keeper."

"Mayu."

The two brothers looked at the girl strangely.

"When I was born, I was named Mayu. So you can say, 'Thanks Mayu'."

Sesshomaru simply nodded and headed for the pool of thick water, but Inuyasha grinned at the girl. She seemed lonely, and he had known what that felt like. He sympathized with her, and felt better about it when she smiled back at him. "Thanks Mayu. You were a lot more decent than I would have been," he complimented, and then headed back towards the small pool before turning around once more. "But next time, lay off the stupid jokes."

Then he winked at her, which made her giggle, and he was gone.

Mayu sat cross legged in the air, her head tilted to the side. "I'll keep that in mind." Then she sighed and smiled.

"See you soon Your Highness."

**.:.**

The Takahashi brothers trudged up the beach, trying to ignore the devilishly hot weather. The sinking quality of the sand on the beach proved to make walking even harder, even for the demonic siblings, especially when coupled with their exhaustion from the painful experience in Mayu's cave. It was actually enough to make each of them pant like… well, like dogs (though Sesshomaru was a bit more sophisticated about it than Inuyasha).

The hanyou pulled both arms up over his head and interlocked his fingers to stretch out the tired limbs and hopefully get the blood flowing through them again. Because of his profuse sweating, his silver hair was sticking to his still bare shoulders and back, and he kept having to shake his head to keep himself comfortable and not feeling sticky.

He was eternally glad he had taken his shirt off before because instead of having the cotton material stick to him he was now able to feel the slightest breezes on his tanned skin covering his aching and occasionally flexing muscles. This, he could admit, felt damn good.

The older inu was in no better shape than his brother, other than the fact that his shirt, although not discarded, was open completely now and flapping around his body. The sheen of sweat that showed on his pectoral muscles also helped to cool him when the slight breezes did come, and he was glad for it. He held his father's sword in his hand, unlike his brother who had clipped it onto his belt. With his other hand he wiped at his sweat covered forehead, clearly annoyed that his bangs were sticking to the skin there. At the rate they were going, he was sure Inuyasha would insist that they take a quick dip in the ocean before setting sail once more and he wasn't exactly sure he would resist.

Speaking of the hanyou, he had said something rather peculiar when they were in Mayu's cave. Sesshomaru turned his head ever so slightly to look at his brother and gage his reaction as he said "So… Kagome is it?"

At his brother's words Inuyasha, regardless of being dead tired and aching, spun his head around so fast it could have came off. "I… I uh…" he stuttered, and then looked at Sesshomaru determinedly. "And Rin?"

Although he was expecting his brother to come back at him with this retort it was none the less still a hard thing to face, especially for the stoic inu youkai. But he had long ago accepted that Rin was probably the one female he'd ever love in his entire life. Which he found odd, because it was such a strange love in it self. However the idea that the girl had become the most important thing to him… It was a bit over whelming.

"Rin… is mind blowing."

Inuyasha studied his brother's face, he had never seen him openly admit his feelings for anyone outside of the family… which really only consisted of three people, one of which was dead. Loyalty and a sense of duty he showed to just about everybody in the Goten no Kaizoku, but actual emotional attachment was an entirely different story.

"Rin makes me feel like… Even if the world was to end tomorrow, and I was going to die… I could not accept it. I'd fight it with all that I am just to be able to hold on to a few more seconds. Not because I want to live, but because I want to spend just a little more time with her," he spoke, slowing his stride and staring at the sand before him.

"She's so much more than a friend to me, but I don't see her as a… lover, exactly. She is beautiful, but I'm not attracted to her physically. But I… I love her in a different way than you would love a friend or sister."

The captain of the Ikkitousen looked up from the sand and to his brother, and began looking more like him self as his passive demeanor returned to him. "I've never told anybody that. Not even Rin."

Inuyasha smiled a little and pushed his hands into his pockets. "You probably should. She'd like to hear it y'know."

"Maybe. . ." he replied reflexively.

"You should."

"You should take your own advice baby brother."

Inuyasha stopped taking steps forward; pausing in mid-walk and staring at his older brother with the blankest look he'd given him since their time on the roof of Ouji's teahouse after their father died. It almost scared Sesshomaru, but he pushed forward determinedly.

"You should tell Kagome how you feel about her."

The younger inu simply continued to stare at his brother blankly, eyes holding no emotion. It was almost as if he had been frozen in place, legs stretched apart in an immobile stride, hands tucked into his pockets and shoulders hunched forward. Then he averted his eyes, turned his head to look at their two ships in the distance and finally spoke.

"Kagome already knows how I feel about her."

"So she knows that she's the most important thing to you?"

"I…"

"She doesn't, does she?"

"Well…"

"You should tell her."

"She…"

"I think she'd like to know about it."

"I didn't even know about it!" he yelled all of a sudden as if he were a volcano that blew without any prior warning. The blank look faded away and seeped into anger, mild confusion, and just a tad bit of shock. All in all, the sight relieved Sesshomaru. He didn't want Inuyasha to relapse…

"Explain your self Inuyasha," the youkai said softly, his own expression still inactive.

Inuyasha ran his fingers through his hair to push his bangs form his face momentarily, looking as if he had hoped it would clear his head. Then he began to pace back and forth in front of his brother in a worried manner.

"I know Kagome's important to me. I know I've got feelings for her but… How could she be _that_ important to me? Maybe there was a mistake…"

"I highly doubt that. The orbs were responding to us, Inuyasha. When you said Kagome's name, something in you told the orbs that she was the most important thing in your life. Unless you think that you'd lie to yourself about something like that deep down, then there was no mistake."

As his breathing became more erratic, Sesshomaru began to see something was definitely wrong with his brother. He was taking this a lot more seriously than he should have been, and in a completely negative way. It wasn't the usual Inuyasha he knew and had known since…

"She… She… What the hell did she do to me?" Inuyasha asked of no one in particular. "We haven't even been seeing each other seriously for that long! There's no way she… I couldn't have… fallen for her that quickly."

"Inuyasha you've known Kagome for years. It could have happened at any of those times," spoke the voice of reason within Sesshomaru. His brother was really beginning to worry him. Inuyasha did not freak out too often or ever for that matter, and yet… well, here he was freaking out.

"I can't… Does this mean that I… I love her?" he questioned, finally looking back to his brother and ceasing his pacing momentarily.

"I don't know. That's something you have to find out on your own."

"But how do I know? I've never been in love before! And if I do love her what if she doesn't love me back?"

"Inuyasha…"

"Or what if she does?"

Sesshomaru did not like where this conversation was going, or the look in the hanyou's eyes. He couldn't ever remember that look ever being there… It was unnerving to see his brother so rattled, breathing erratically and pacing around once again.

"What if she loves me? And I… I do something to hurt her!" What if she dies, or gets sick, what if I can't protect her, what if I'm too weak!"

"Inuyasha!" Sesshomaru shouted, stepping out of his comfort zone by grabbing his younger brother by the shoulders and shaking him slightly. "Inuyasha what's wrong with you?"

The younger inu's breathing only continued to increase in rapidity, his pupils dilating as he began to shake.

Now beyond the point where it mattered to mask his concern, Sesshomaru pulled his brother to him in a forceful embrace. Even though it was the first time he had hugged his brother since they were very young, it felt natural to comfort him like he had once done in their adolescent years. One arm wrapped around his rigid bare shoulders, the other wrapped around for his hand to cradle the back of his head. He still shook violently, and his scent indicated he was anything but okay, but the hanyou's arms instinctively wrapped around his older siblings lower torso. He fisted his hands in the youkai's shirt, effectively tearing into it and even a little bit of his brother's flesh with his vice like grip and fierce quivering.

"Inuyasha what's happening to you…?" Sesshomaru muttered as he tried to steady his brother's trembling form. It was beginning to work as his shaking and erratic breathing was leveling off into stable regions.

They stood like that for the longest time but eventually, after Inuyasha seemed to calm himself enough to go limp in his brother's arms and even rest his head on his shoulder, they pulled themselves apart.

The Pirate King took slow ragged breaths, but otherwise seemed fine now. He didn't look up though as they stood there and Sesshomaru did not blame him. It was odd to show any sort of weakness in front of each other, and in spite of what a lot of people thought, he did not judge his brother on it. He simply became concerned about him.

"Inuyasha, wha—?"

"Let's get back," the younger Takahashi spoke up, effectively cutting his brother off. "I… I want to get going soon."

Without another word Inuyasha began walking up the beach towards the boats again, this time a little faster than before.

Sesshomaru watched him for a while before slowly following behind him. He stared intently at the back of his brother's head as he thought back on what had just happened. When he watched his brother's expression, he looked pained. But when he looked into his eyes, he saw an emotion he had never in his recorded memory seen there.

That look coupled with what he was reacting to could only bring Sesshomaru to one imperative question.

**.:.**

**The Imperative Question:**

**Was Inuyasha afraid to fall in love?**

**.:.**

It was a bit on the cold side that night but she did not mind. The wind was her element after all, and regardless of its temperature it would always be a part of her being. The breeze flowed around her outstretched arms, curved around her torso, around and up her back and through her dark hair. She had never felt more at home than when she was with this beautiful wind.

"Kagura…"

She opened her eyes and the wind all but ceased its path up and around her body, although it did stray from its natural flow to try and keep contact. It was attracted to the demoness in any case. As Kagura looked around her surroundings on her brother's ship, she found the one whom had called her name from the darkness.

Her older sister stood off to her right and glimmered an eerie white in the dusk. "Naraku has requested your presence in his quarters," she said rather blankly, her black pupil less eyes failing to ever make contact with her younger sister's equally pupil less red ones.

With a curt nod Kagura stepped away from the bow of the ship and began to tie her hair up in its usual bun. Once done with that she walked forward with her sister towards the Captain's quarters, preparing herself for what she knew to be a dreaded experience just by association with her brother.

**.:.**

Naraku sat behind his desk with a glass of wine in his hand, staring fixedly at the deep crimson liquid he was swirling with the flick of his wrist and a turning round of his glass. He sensed both of his sisters before they walked through the door and paid them no mind even after they had entered and closed the door behind them. Instead he opted to bring the glass to his lips and sip gingerly at his alcoholic drink.

After a long bout of silence he finally set his glass down and leaned back in his seat, settling his eyes on the two women. "Kanna."

"It took a long while, but I have managed to find her whereabouts thanks to the information you supplied me," the small girl said without having to be asked. Her eyes skimmed down to the mirror she always kept with her, then back up to her younger brother. "I am ready to go whenever you give the word."

Naraku nodded silently, a wicked smile appearing on his face. "I believe that they are all going to meet up once again. Keep track of her, and when she begins to move out of the region she is in, prepare yourself to go and follow her discreetly. When she makes contact with the others, send me word. Then I will send out your back up."

Kanna nodded silently, looking to Kagura next. "You will have to be ready to go at any time. I do not know when she plans on her departure."

"Hai, I understand," Kagura agreed, albeit a little grudgingly. She felt sick that she was being used in a plan she had no interest in whatsoever, especially for a part so vital. She would much rather be living her own life than be used as a puppet by her older siblings. Especially her wretched brother.

"Are your bounty hunters prepared? These adversaries will not be the easiest to defeat, even if we are not worried about killing any of them just yet," Kanna spoke again as she turned her attention back to her brother.

"Do not worry about that. They are the best in the Syndicate, I myself handpicked them. They will be ready when you call on them," Naraku stated as he leaned back in his chair and took up his glass once more. "Just say the word, Kan-nee, and they will be there."

"Hai. I surely hope so."

**.:.**

**Oofie: "Yeah I know it's shorter than other chapters. But I didn't feel like the next part of the story should be in this chapter…"**

**Inuyasha sits in a corner fuming.**

**Oofie: "What's your problem?"**

**Inuyasha: "Kagome, please inform Oofie that I am not speaking to her."**

**Kagome: "…. You're kidding right?"**

**Oofie: "Damn, I knew this was coming. It's about the part with Inu and Sessh…"**

**Inuyasha growls.**

**Kagome: "Yeah that was weird…"**

**Oofie: "Yeah… I know Sesshomaru normally shows like no emotion at all. But I wanted to write at least one part in my story when they're both adults that shows their bond as brothers has deteriorated. Well, that and I wanted to try my hand at fan service for those who might like the idea of the half naked brothers in an embrace."**

**Inuyasha: "Kagome, will you tell Oofie that she has a sick mind and nobody wants to see that."**

**Kagome: ". . . Oofie."**

**Oofie: "Yes?"**

**Kagome: "This is childish and I'm not going to say it. You heard him. And I want ice cream. I'll be back after the reviews are over."**

**Oofie: "See and now you've driven her off! Stupid dog!"**

**Inuyasha sits quietly but twitches at the stupid dog comment.**

**Oofie: "Damn, I really thought that would work. Oh well. I guess we can just do some reviews now…"**

_Miko in training__: Thanks for saying that. I can only hope you still care even now. Sorry for leaving you hanging!!_

_LoVe23__: I'm glad you liked the last chapter so much! I think I love all the emotional parts. Lol, they're fun to write. And of course you hate Kikyo! Lol, everybody loves to hate Kikyo! But keep in mind in this story she's trying to help out her one and only baby sister…. In her small… demented little way. Anyway, thanks for the review!_

_Iron Inuyasha__: I'm glad you liked it and all but… dude, I can't put a lemon in this chapter! I had to forward the plot, and so they're all separated… But don't worry; there will definitely be more lemons in this story. I'm never one to talk, but you just have to be patient I suppose. Thanks for the review!_

_Auroras-flame__: Oh gawsh, all your reviews made me bust a gut! Lol and I liked the fact that they were all so long. It made me feel like you actually took the time out of your day to give lil ole me some thought… feels special But enough about that… I can only hope the rest of my story satisfies you! Lol, I really adored all your comments, so it'd make me happy if you could review again if you've got time. Thank you!_

_Animeaddiction23__: Thanks for reading any of it at all! And then again for review! _

_sheveen__: Oh gods please don't be dead! I'm sorry I took so long! I really am!! Don't be dead!! But as a side note, I'm glad you like the story thus far. I hope this chapter tickles your fancy. And… I hope you aren't dead from the dying to know thing… Because that would kill me inside… _

**Oofie: "Okay, and that is that peeps! I know I'm evil for not updating, but please forgive me!!" TT TT**

**Kagome walks back in with ice cream.**

**Kagome: "What I miss?"**

**Oofie: sigh "Nothing. Wave goodbye you guys!"**

**Kagome & Oofie wave goodbye to the readers.**

**Inuyasha grumbles.**


	11. Ookami sama!

**Oofie: "LO SIENTO!!!!!!!"**

**Inuyasha: "What the fuck…."**

**Oofie: "I'm sorry. I guess I've underestimated the might of AP work."**

**Kagome: "Holy cow you've got AP classes?"**

**Oofie: "Yeah…. It's not really that big a deal if you have time. But I've got so much other stuff to do that it's insane."**

**Kagome: "I'm sorry…"**

**Oofie: "It's cool. I've finally worked out a schedule so it works, and I've managed to get a little free time on days that aren't as heavy on the workload."**

**Inuyasha: "Oh goodie. So you'll be here then?"**

**Oofie: "I hope enough to get around to finishing this. I already know how I want it to end. I just don't know how many chapters it will take to get there."**

**Kagome: "Wow. How does it end?"**

**Oofie: "Oh you'll see!"**

**Inuyasha: "She doesn't really know."**

**Oofie: "Oh I do. I just don't want to spoil it."**

**Kagome: "Well… at least tell us about this chapter?"**

**Oofie: "With pleasure! I will definitely say this chapter is not for those of us who are against sex being publicly displayed….Whether it be through written form or anything else. Especially if it's rather pointless. Then I advise you to scroll down to the next place you see bold print. I'll fill you in at the end of the chapter, so as not to spoil it for the people who don't mind."**

**Inuyasha: "Do I even wanna know…"**

**Oofie: "Definitely not."**

**Inuyasha: "Ugh…."**

**Oofie: "Kagome?"**

**Kagome: "Oofie doesn't own us, or anything Inuyasha."**

**Ookami-sama!**

Ai sat at her place behind the front desk, pretending to be busy by shuffling through papers. In truth, her job description only covered tending to the HhHigher Ups' errands and greeting anybody who needed to be greeted as they walked through the buildings front entry. However, most of the Higher Ups were out of the country at a conference in Britain, and it was too early for anybody to bother coming in that needed assistance finding anything or needed a formal greeting.

So in short, Ai was extremely bored.

Trying desperately not to sway her tail behind her and attract attention with the bright golden brown fur on it, she replaced the papers upon her desk then picked up a quill to scribble a note to nobody in particular, just trying to appear busy once again.

"Hello miss," a smooth and deep voice said, and when she looked up she came face to face with the most beautiful blue eyes the youkai had ever seen in all her days.

The eyes belonged to a rather tall tanned youkai with a handsome face and strong jaw line. His dark black hair was slicked back from his face and ran long down his back in straight dark cascades. Both of his arms were tucked behind him and he stood tall and proud, a slight polite grin on his face. Once she managed to get the enthralled look off of her own countenance, she noticed that behind him were two other men, though not as attractive. They both stood silently at attention in servants' robes.

"Sorry to have to bother you, but I require a bit of assistance," the ookami spoke politely with a slight inclination of his head.

"Y-Yes sir," Ai stuttered as she stood up from her seat immediately and bowed to the young lord. "What can I do for you?"

"Well, I…" he trailed off as she looked up. He stared at her for a moment, then grinned and stepped closer to the desk. "Excuse me if I am mistaken, but you are… a kenshiko youkai, are you not?"

The youkai behind the desk nodded and began fiddling with the sleeve of her blue-grey kimono. "Hai, I am."

"I see. Kenshiko-san… there are not many of you left. Which is a shame, seeing as your kind are so beautiful," he complimented smoothly with a grin that could melt Ai's heart. "I'm sorry… how inappropriate. I came with some business and began spouting off on random topics. I need to check on some documents for my clan. Can you show me where the Records Room is?"

"O-Of course sir," she replied rather flustered. She stepped out from behind her desk, trying to maintain an heir of grace, and then motioned for him to start down a hallway.

He nodded elegantly, but said "I would much rather the lady proceed before the men, seeing as we haven't the slightest idea where we are going and you seem like an expert. So let us be going."

She nodded at the strange request but obliged him anyway. Seeing as there were not any truly important people in the building at the time, she did not need to worry about rudely escorting the guest from the front. So she walked silently forward, turning down different hallways when necessary and venturing deeper into the Syndicate building. Occasionally she would come across a person working who would eye them strangely, but she ignored them and kept up her heir of professionalism.

**.:.**

"_Kouga!_" a voice urgently whispered behind the determined ookami youkai. He glanced back when he was sure nobody was looking, and saw that it was Ginta who had called to him. He signaled that he had heard him with a quick nod that he was listening, and then quick as a flash he turned his head back around.

Ginta and Hakakku exchanged glances then the former walked forward faster so he was merely a few inches behind his captain.

"_How do you plan on getting the stuff we need out of here? There's no way she'll let us!_" he whispered so quietly even a youkai would have to strain to hear if they were not standing directly next to him.

Kouga shrugged slightly and turned his head a tad while keeping his eye on the kenshiko. "_I'm not sure yet, just keep going along with what I say for now._"

Ginta nodded, trusting his captain whole heartedly. He slowed his pace and fell back next to Hakakku where he proceeded to urgently whisper the words he had been told to the other youkai.

**.:.**

"Here we are, the records room," Ai announced as they approached a room at the end of a very long and empty corridor. She reached to open the sliding door but a strong muscled arm reached around her and opened it, much to her surprise. She looked up at the youkai lord curiously but he simply smiled his winning smile at her.

"No lady as beautiful as your self should have to open doors for herself," he said politely as he gestured for her to step inside. She of course obliged him again and preceded the three ookami youkai into room.

The interior of the room was almost like a library with floor to ceiling bookshelves lining each wall and all different heighted shelves in the middle. Each was filled with books, papers, folders, scrolls, and any other form of printed information you could possibly name. Ai peered around the Records Room in awe as she did every time she stepped inside its vast inner space. So much information was held within these walls, from everything to when and where a youkai was born to historic youkai wars and conquests. Her own birth registration papers were located in this room, along with her employment papers and even her ancestral history. Absolutely _everything_ to do with recorded Japanese youkai history was located in this room.

Suddenly remembering her place, Ai spun back around towards the Syndicate guests and placed her heir of professionalism back on, if only until she caught the young Lord's crystal blue gaze.

He was staring at her openly, and a spike in his scent that she could barely detect told her that he was aroused. This made her blush timidly, unsure if it was quite right for an obvious Lord to show interest in anybody of her stature. It was, in theory, highly unethical after all.

Oh but the way he was watching her intently, as if his eyes were only made to gaze at her, filled her with a sudden lust that she knew he could smell after her smiled at her in a sort of smug satisfaction.

When he took a resolute step forward, she shuffled backwards in confusion beyond the "ethical" dilemma she was currently experiencing. Was he truly going to act on such roguish impulses? The very thought made her shudder, but then again it could have easily just been the way he gazed up and down her body with such passion in his eyes. She found herself breathing rapidly as he backed her up against a bookshelf, acutely aware of his proximity as he stepped ever closer.

"Kenshiko-san," he muttered in such a deep voice she could feel it reverberating inside her. "You smell absolutely wonderful." And with that he dipped his head low, until his nose made contact with the crook in her neck and he breathed deeply.

Just the feeling of his face on her skin made her gasp in excitement, but she held on to whatever dignity she had left.

"Lord…"

"Ookami. Just call me Ookami."

". . . Ookami-sama, really we should be getting to the business you came all the way down to the Syndicate Headquarters for. I-I think it is unwise to… to pursue this further," she spoke in small shudders and gasps as he nuzzled her and pressed himself up against her with abandon.

"Kenshiko-san, come now… I know that is what you think, but is that really what you _want_?" he whispered lightly in her ear, hunched forward due to the height difference.

Ai began to lose her resolve as he pushed up against her even further and she felt the wooden shelves of the bookcase press into her back. She could get into such trouble if she was found in this position, not to mention the Lord's servants were still there, no doubted staring blatantly at her plight and not so much as even lifting a finger to warn their lord against his actions.

"I…I…What if somebody walks in…"

At that he straightened up like a wooden board, to her relief and dismay. He turned his body at an angle so he could see behind him, and was silent for but a moment before saying. "What about there?"

Ai stepped out from behind the tall Ookami Lord and saw what he was gesturing at.

The door that led to the Restricted Records.

It was off limits to many people and she only had access to it to run errands for the Higher Ups, but she did have the key on her person. It could be so easy…

"That's off limits Lo—"

"Ookami."

"…Ookami-sama," she blushed at such informality.

"Well, less people to walk in and see," he provided effortlessly with a small grin. He stepped forward and pulled them close, nuzzling her neck once more and actually darting his tongue out to heat up her flesh. "I won't let you refuse me, Kenshiko-san. So come with me."

Ai mindlessly nodded and when he stepped away she walked forward to the door. Slowly she reached for her keys…

**.:.**

"Kouga what the hell are you doing!?" Hakakku whispered urgently the moment his captain turned his back on the woman fumbling with her keys.

"Relax! I'm just going to keep her busy, while we're in there look around the library for anything you can find on Onigumo, got it?" he spoke urgently in undertones.

When both his crew members nodded he spun back around and placed his well-used seductive grin back on his face and stepped back into the noble pretense he hadn't had a use for since he was living with his clan…

**.:.**

The moment she had turned the key in the lock, Ai felt two strong arms wrap around her middle and her breath hitched in her throat as she felt two lips pressing against it.

"Ookami-sama!" she gasped in surprise, causing him to let out an attractive chuckle.

"See, I knew you could get used to it."

The arms around her loosened slightly so the hands attached to them could run themselves over the curves of her hips, where they found a good grip and pulled her back into their owner. He grinded his pelvis against her backside and she gasped in surprise, tilting her head back and immediately gripping onto his arms to steady herself.

"Kenshiko-san…." He muttered in her ear, "Do you want me?"

Still lost in the sensations of her back ground so thoroughly into his front, she nodded dumbly, and began to shuffle forward when he nudged her to the door. Once inside he closed it behind him, and she was all but putty in his hands…

**.:.**

"Aw fuck! Ginta where the hell do we start looking?" Hakakku urgently whispered to his crew mate, who was currently skidding past different aisles of bookshelves.

"I figure he's gotta be where they keep birth records for one, and he's also gotta be in the Syndicate section, where everything about the Youkai Syndicate is. So you take the birth records, look under everything Onigumo! I'll check the Syndicate history!"

Hakakku nodded then bounded off towards the section that was labeled "Birth Records" with a large painted hanging sign…

**.:.**

"Aaaah! Ookami-sama!" Ai mewled out as she felt the wolf youkai's hands on her now exposed breasts. And when he latched onto one of them with his mouth, she nearly screamed in ecstasy.

It was all moving so fast, one second she was at work, the next she was being caressed by the most beautiful male she had ever come across. It was overwhelming, but it excited her none the less. She could feel wetness seeping through her undergarments and sliding down her thighs and she only wished for his touch to quell the aching need.

The Lord looked up at her from her breasts, and smiled accusingly before letting go and beginning to untie the belt of her kimono. "I can smell you Kenshiko-san… Are you really this aroused just for me?"

She nodded her head with a slight moan as his hand finally brushed her bare stomach while her kimono fell around her. "H-Hai Ookami-sama…"

His smile fell slowly form his lips and was replaced by a lustful stare. When their eyes met it was almost as if sparks were emitted from his gaze. And then there it was, plain as day.

His fingers began sliding themselves back and forth against her dripping sex.

She opened her mouth to scream, but he covered her mouth with his own before she could make the sound that could potentially have them caught…

**.:.**

"OH MY GOD!"

Ginta flinched at the outburst, even if it wasn't that loud, and dropped the book he was holding to bolt down the aisles towards Hakakku. He found him staring open-mouthed at a sheet or paper he held with both of his hands.

"What! Did you find it?" Ginta asked excitedly as he strode up to him and looked at the paper.

"No, but I found my birth certificate. Did you know I was born in Nampo Forest?"

Immediately the ookami lost his eager smile and glared at this partner. "You idiot! I thought you found it! And who gives a fuck about Nampo!"

"Nobody, that's the point! I mean come on, Nampo? That's a bit of a let down y'know… I could have at least been born somewhere more thrilling."

With that Ginta snatched the birth certificate from Hakakku's hands and tossed it on the floor with the pile he had already made. "Just keep looking before Kouga has to come out here and kick your ass. He'll be pissed if you're not working."

"Yeah, you're right. He's pretty strict about getting stuff done…"

**.:.**

Leaning against the shelves of a bookcase, the ookami Lord bit his lip and thoroughly began to enjoy the attentions that Ai was giving him. He had done such a good job with her that she did not feel it was right to let him off without returning the favor.

So here she was, on her knees in the restricted section of the Youkai Syndicate Records Library with his slender and long fingers running themselves through her golden hair while she gave him the pleasures of her willing mouth. To be truthful she was quite surprised that she was any good at this sort of thing, but he seemed to like it. Every once in a while she would look up to catch him staring as he disappeared in between her lips or as her tongue had come out to meet him. It made her blush to be watched, but she had watched him as he had his face near her most private regions so she supposed it was only fair.

She glanced up once more to see his head lulling back against the books with his tongue darting out to lick his lips as he let out a gruff groan. "Kenshiko-san your mouth is pure heaven…" he muttered, as if he knew she was watching him. She immediately closed her eyes tightly in paranoia of being caught staring and concentrated on not choking while getting as much of this manhood as she could into her mouth…

**.:.**

"I don't see Onigumo anywhere!" Hakakku called as he searched through the last bit of records before he would return them as he found them so as not to be caught.

Ginta appeared soon after with a dejected look. "Neither did I. Damn, if he's not there than he's not anywhere in this library."

As Hakakku pushed the last few files back into place he turned to face his comrade as he leaned against the bookshelf with his arms crossed across his chest. "He has to be here. Everything Japanese Youkai related is in here… Well, except for the Gouten. But other than that it has to be here."

For a while there was silence between the two as they pondered individually on where the needed records and papers could be, before they heard a rather loud groan seemingly coming from no where. They shared a look for a brief moment, and then headed toward the door that separated the main branch to the restricted area…

**.:.**

"Here it comes…" the Lord warned in a strained voice just moments before warm and thick liquid burst into Ai's throat, having him too far in her mouth to really taste anything nor avoid swallowing. She pulled him from her mouth with a soft sucking sound one might hear after pulling a lollipop or a Popsicle from one's mouth. But she continued to hold him, and with wide entranced eyes she watched as he began to grow stiff in her hand once more.

"Ookami-sama…" she whispered distractedly as she eyed his member with a slight blush on her face.

The Lord looked down at the sound of his name and smiled at the wondrous look in her eyes. He caught her eye and opened his mouth to say something when a brash knocking on the door made Ai nearly jump out of her skin.

With an annoyed look wearing his features the Lord pushed himself off of the bookshelf and pulled his cloths back into place before going to the door…

**.:.**

"What is it!?" Kouga whispered hoarsely at the two youkai standing impatiently outside the door.

"Onigumo isn't in the library."

"_Nande!?_"

"He isn't here. We've checked, and haven't found him," Hakakku answered, his arms crossed over his chest with an annoyed look on his face.

"Damn, well where in the hell… Why are the two of you looking at me that way?" Kouga asked when he noticed the demeanor of his crew members.

"You smell like sex." Hakakku commented dryly.

"Head, to be more specific." Ginta said in agreement as he took a more careful sniff at the smell emanating from their captain.

Kouga closed his mouth quickly and a vein jumped in his forehead as he clenched his jaw. His two crew members exchanged looks once more and gave him a look that clearly showed their captain what they thought of him at that moment, but he ignored the blatant stares. "Your point?"

"We could be killed if we're caught looking around in here, and you're just sitting there enjoying yourself while the office slut is sucking you up! I don't see how that's fair…." Ginta started but closed his mouth after he noticed his captain did not seem to be listening. Instead, he brought up a hand to his chin and began to smirk.

"You said he's not in the normal library? Well… I am in the restricted area…. I figured we'd need access to that. Give me ten minutes."

And with that he returned to his place behind the door while Ginta and Hakakku simply sat there in dumbfounded shock that he would simply walk away…

**.:.**

When the young Lord returned he had a very primal smirk on his face, and it only served to moisten the apex between Ai's thighs as she watched him approach her. She backed herself up from him, feeling the dominant persona he had acquired before he even pushed her back onto one of the few tables present in the room. Yanking her legs apart, he looked over her in satisfaction, lingering particularly at her sex before nodding to himself.

She blushed, and was about to ask him what he was going to do but he suddenly pulled her up from the table and maneuvered her so his hands were hooked under her knees and her back was pressed into his chest. The new position gave her jolt, but not as much as when a sudden presence made itself known in her most private regions as she felt herself become completely filled with the Lord's still hard member.

Ai instinctively threw her head back in a silent cry as her arms flew upwards so her hands could grasp the fabric of his robes at the base of his neck. She fit perfectly with her head lulling back onto him, resting where his neck met his shoulder, giving him full view of her exposed breasts.

If she had been conscious of it, surely Ai would have been flattered that he gave her just the right amount of time to adjust to his size before using his muscular arms to pull her upwards, unsheathing him halfway, then bringing her back down. He repeated the action slowly at first, pacing himself by the different tones of her whimpers and moans…

**.:.**

"I swear to kami if we make it out of this alive, the first thing I'll do is get some action."

Ginta rolled his eyes at his companion as they sat cross-legged facing each other with nothing better to do then listen to the kenshiko woman's moans and the slapping of skin (and in Hakakku's case, get involuntarily stiff in the pants).

"If we get out of this alive I swear to kami the first thing I'll do is get you a leash."

"A leash?"

"Yeah. Protection for women everywhere."

"That was uncalled for…."

**.:.**

"Oo-Ka-Mi-Sa-Ma!" Ai moaned out, each syllable accented with a bounce as she was lifted off of and slammed down on the youkai's shaft repetitively. She had felt like she could take no more than a few more thrusts when she all of a sudden felt her fingers loose their grip on his robes and her point of view changed drastically as she found herself bent over the table in front of her.

Her breasts smashed up against the smooth wooden surface and strong hands grasping her hips. She felt rather disoriented, but her mind soon left her as Lord Ookami thrust into her at new speeds and such force that the table began to skid across the floor.

Ai called out for the umpteenth time as she could feel the knot tying itself up in her pleasure center, edging closer and closer to an impending orgasm.

As if reading what was left of her only slightly coherent thoughts, Kouga leaned forward into his thrusts and spoke in a grunt of a voice. "Are you close?"

"H-Hai!" she managed to reply.

He groaned his acceptance of this answer and slid his hand around her middle to rest on her stomach. Finally her orgasm hit her and she called out his name once more. And it was a wonderful experience, but it was multiplied by a thousand when she felt two expert fingers press against her clit as she rode the last waves, pushing her back up to a high even more extreme than the last.

Her mouth opened in a scream that could not be heard, for her voice had gone and he eyes rolled back into her head until the very last wave of her climax rolled away and her body was left unconscious on top of the table….

**.:.**

Kouga finally appeared at the door, pausing to wipe sheen of sweat from his forehead and push back a few bangs that had moved forward during his excursions. "Well… I said ten minutes," he held up his left hand in which he could barely hold a rather thick package. "And I meant ten minutes. Let's get out of here."

Ginta and Hakakku looked at their captain in amazement as he walked past the two of them. They could obviously smell the sex all over him, but had no idea what to think of the package he held.

The two of them caught up to their captain easily just as he reached the library door, opting to not ask any questions in favor of just getting out of the Syndicate building as fast as possible.

**.:.**

Ai began to stir, registering small things about her surroundings one at a time. Like the still silence of a lonely room, the cool air brushing against her face and neck, and especially the hard smooth surface she lay on.

She began to open he eyes, but decided to keep them closed after she discovered that the light made them uncomfortable. Letting out a small grown, she rolled over onto her back so she could stretch her legs when she suddenly became conscious of a slight ache from between her thighs. She bolted up; eyes shooting open as all of what happened to her came back. The youkai lord, his servants, and of course the events in the restricted area.

She looked around herself, finding she was still there, sitting atop a table. However all of her clothing had been placed back on her, her hair was presentable instead of a mess as she expected, and she couldn't even smell her recent activities on her person. If it weren't for the obvious empty feeling one has after being filled in the way that she was and the slight ache she still had, she would have believed herself to be sleep walking and everything to have been a dream.

Deciding it was probably best for her to get back to her work desk; she stood up on wobbly legs and began to make her way back. She was truly miffed on what had happened to the Lord, and she felt she should have been angry that he would use her body and then simply leave without a word, but she couldn't bring herself to be. Instead she felt that he had brought something fun into her rather dull morning.

She wished she could thank him.

But all there was left to do now was to go back to her desk, and make herself appear busy.

**.:.**

**Kouga Once Said That All Men Are Dogs:**

**A statement made on his own experiences.**

**Quite obviously.**

**.:.**

"Sessh-kun?"

Sesshomaru turned his head to look at Rin as she approached him. She looked beautiful with the pink flower tucked into her hair where her side pony-tail started; matching almost perfectly to her current pink kimono styled overall shorts, a design of her own making. She held her slippers in one hand and a sloshing jug of water in the other, a smile gracing her features as she closed the distance between them.

She plunked herself down next to him in the sand, setting down her shoes and pushing her toes into the warm sand. "I thought you may have been thirsty," she spoke, handing him the water jug.

He took it from her more so to be polite than because he was actually thirsty, and to appease her he took a gulp or two of the clear liquid before setting it down. The youkai looked back at her once he was through without bothering to conceal his open stare.

"Well. Are you planning on telling me why you really came down here?"

Rin smiled a toothy grin and looked down at her lap as if defeated. "Sesshomaru! You weren't supposed to guess that!"

"It' wasn't a guess. I knew it; your actions are too obvious. Are you going to share or not?" he persisted, coming as dangerously close to playing with her as he would allow himself.

"I was just curious. You have been sort of distant,"

The youkai captain set a look on her that, even in its vacuity, she knew meant "I'm the definition of distant," and she smiled.

"I meant you're being more distant than usual," she amended simply to keep him assured that the others still perceived him as aloof as always. "So what has happened?"

Sesshomaru watched his companion carefully, observing her every movement from the soft blinking of her eyes to the slight rise and fall of her chest caused by her steady patient breathing. She was the epitome of magnificence, in its simplest most innocent form. He knew of his luck to find such a brilliant light in such a destitute world as his own. It was almost unbelievable, uncanny, in itself. Of course he, Sesshomaru, was magnificent and brilliant in his own right, but through his own eyes Rin was above and beyond him. A thought that made him just as sick to his stomach as it made him feel he had known a secret no other could possess nor enjoy.

He considered telling her this.

He considered telling her this an uncountable number of moments during the time that had lapsed between their departure from Kiribati and the present.

But something held him back.

Had he still been the youkai he was when he first met Rin, he would have told himself his pride was what would not allow him to admit such regard, such attachment, such… love for a being so weak and vulnerable. But he had grown past that point, had improved, had advanced to a greater level of understanding of life in its own right since he had his first encounter with Rin. So the same excuse could obviously not be used, his logic would have torn it down had he thought it before.

Memories of his brother's violently shaking form and the distinct smell of fear emanating off of him in waves returned to his mind. But the possibility of his present conflict was nothing like that of his brother's. The circumstances were different, the people involved were polar opposites, and even the type of love felt was different. Truly the feeling of trepidation his brother felt was not even remotely close to what ever entity was holding himself from conveying what he was experiencing. It was logically unsound to argue such a thing.

Besides, he—the great Sesshomaru, he—the captain of the Ikkitousen, he—the son of the great Inu Taisho, feared nothing.

"Sesshomaru…?"

Rin sat in her place in the sun beside him, her beautiful dark chocolate eyes locked on his, waiting on some sort of response from him.

He opened his mouth to speak but for once in his life was at a loss of words, and it surprised him even now.

"Don't worry," he finally said. "I'm fine, nothing happened."

Sesshomaru feared nothing.

Rin smiled.

Absolutely nothing.

…Right?

**.:.**

"Inuyasha?"

"Eh?"

Shippo watched his captain sitting in the crow's nest. It had been several days since they had left the island of the Secret Keeper and they were now presently offshore of an uninhabited island people of the Kaizoku use regularly for miscellaneous purposes. In other words, the official place everyone was supposed to meet up at.

Even though they were anchored close to the island, the captain was spending most of his time in Shippo's post, high up above the deck. Not that the young kitsune minded, but the hanyou was acting unlike himself. It was natural for Shippo to be a little worried about him.

"Not that I'm telling you to get out, but what are you doing in the crow's nest again?"

Inuyasha's golden orbs slid from the wooden planks underneath his feet up towards the face of the younger male. The look itself made him uncomfortable, for there was something missing from his eyes that just left them eerily blank as apposed to the expressive quality they used to have. It was made even stranger by heavy silence the hanyou had chosen to employ.

"What happened to you on that island Inu-nii…?" Shippo hear himself asking after he could no longer take the silence or the stare any more. "You aren't the same."

Without turning his head Inuyasha averted his gaze once more to stare back at the boards beneath him. He didn't say anything for a while, but he at least looked like he wanted to speak, to be heard for the first time since the previous night. And at least that was _something_.

"Shippo, do you ever regret coming with me?"

"Eh? Regret? Why would I do that?"

"It's just…" Inuyasha paused, looking as if he wasn't exactly sure of what he wanted to say next. "If you wanted you could have chosen another path, instead of choosing to come with me on my ship that day. Do ever wonder what it would have been like?"

"Nope."

"Never?"

"Never."

Inuyasha looked at his cabin boy, choosing to finally change his expression to one with one of his dark eyebrows arched and a look in his eyes that conveyed his thoughts of Shippo's statement being ridiculous. Then with a large clawed hand he ruffled the young kitsune's orange hair. "You're just a kid Ship," he said, using an old nickname everybody in the crew had for the boy. "I should have expected as much."

Shippo looked at his captain bewildered and opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by people shouting down below.

"Ships are coming! Ships are coming!"

"That's the Shinsoku!"

"The other's the Kenkoubi!"

Inuyasha's left ear twitched at the names, recognizing both immediately. "Well Shippo," he said as he stood. "I guess we gotta go say hi to the mangy wolf and that lecher."

"Aye, aye captain!" Shippo agreed, happy for something to do. He jumped into the air, pulled out one of his fax magic leaves and transformed into a large pink floating ball with wide white eyes and scrawny limps with smaller pink spheres for hands and feet. Given his cue, the hanyou jumped atop the new form of his cabin boy and sat lazily as they descended down the mass then towards the beach.

**Oofie: "Well there it is. Anybody need a fill in?"**

**Kagome: ". . ."**

**Inuyasha: "I guess I do. I wasn't really paying attention."**

**Oofie: "Well basically Kouga had to do the mission Inuyasha had assigned him, infiltrate the Syndicate and all information on Onigumo. He did this by seducing the woman who worked there and had access to the place where the records were kept, then knocked her unconscious with his…. Let's say sexual prowess, and walked out with the records."**

**Kagome: ". . ."**

**Inuyasha: "Fuck, maybe I didn't need to know that."**

**Kagome: ". . . why Oofie? Why?"**

**Oofie shrugs.**

**Oofie: "I missed my boyfriend."**

**Kagome: "YOU DO THAT WITH YOUR BOYFRIEND!?"**

**Inuyasha: "You have **_**another**_** boyfriend?"**

**Oofie: "NO! And…. Yes, I do have another boyfriend Inuyasha. Is it that unbelievable?"**

**Inuyasha: "Now that you mention it…"**

**Kagome: "I don't get it."**

**Oofie: "I dunno. My boyfriend's hot and I was thinking about him when I began writing. I was stuck on how Kouga was going to get in and out undetected and since I was already thinking about a hot guy, I figured what the hell, and Ai came into existence. Besides, I remember somebody asking me for a lemon at some point…."**

**Kagome: "O…. kay…."**

**Oofie: "You don't have to be so confused, I'm sure your mind starts to…. **_**Wander**_** whenever you look at Inuyasha over there."**

**Inuyasha turned around with ramen noodles hanging from his mouth, the broth dribbling from his chin as one noodle is stuck to the side of his face.**

**Inuyasha: "Huh?"**

**Oofie: "Or on second thought…."**

**Kagome: "Can we just do some reviews now?"**

**Oofie: "Yes ma'am."**

_LoVe23__: Of course you can hate Kikyo! Everybody has that right! And as far as the Inu/Sessh moments, I'm rather glad you liked 'em. I figured they might be weird if not to somebody's liking. And as far as Inu doing something stupid… well let's just say a story would be a story without Inu doing something stupid!_

_ahaad__: Thanks for your review, and I'm sorry for making you wait so long for an update! Hope you like this chapter!_

**Oofie: "I'm sorry this chapter is short everyone, but once again I didn't feel the next part should be with this part. Definitely more next chapter and perhaps some long awaited drama."**

**Inuyasha: "Oh boy, can't wait…"**

**Oofie: "Cut the sarcasm mutt."**

**Inuyasha sticks his tongue out at Oofie.**

**Kagome: "Oh that's mature. **

**Oofie: "Yeah….Well folks, that's all there is, and there ain't no more! Buh-bye!"**


End file.
